LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: March 26, 2007

 

by State Representative Addia Wuchner

Review of 2007 Legislation As We Return for Final Two Days

Greetings from Frankfort ! By the time this column goes into print, the final hours of the 2007 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly will have come and gone. As I return to Frankfort for the final two days following the veto period, many piece of Legislation currently hang in the balance between in House and Senate. HB 418, the Pension Bill, purposed Senate and House legislation addressing education, the Bonnie Bill addressing social workers safety; pieces of legislation worked on at during the interim, details remain to be worked out between Chambers.

I would like to update you on a few bills that have passed the House and the Senate and been delivered to the Governor for his signature into law that have not made headlines this session but, affect the lives of Kentuckians.

Fire Safe Cigarette…Senate Bill 134 requires all cigarettes sold and distributed in Kentucky to comply with fire-safe performance standards. Some of the compliance standards are ignition propensity testing, requiring manufactures periodic reporting to the Legislature and submitting written certifications to the state. These cigarettes will also be marked as fire safe with a "FS" on the packaging.

Good-bye Boll Weevil…Cotton farmers would receive relief from House Bill 192. It would direct the Commissioner of Agriculture to create and carry out programs to eliminate boll weevils, which cause considerable damage to cotton crops. The Commissioner can also designate areas in the state where cotton cannot be grown and prohibit cotton from being imported into the state from areas determined to be infested.

Clean up of former meth labs… As methamphetamine production labs are identified and shutdown throughout the state, decontamination of the production sites becomes an issue. House Bill 94 addresses this issue by establishing standards and procedures for cleaning former production sites and would adopt administrative regulations that would enable the availability of federal dollars to aid in the decontamination process

Breastfeeding Mothers and jury duty… Mothers who breastfeed their children or express breastmilk will be excused from jury service under Senate Bill 111. This exemption will last until the child is old enough that the mother is no longer breastfeeding.

As we wrap up the last week of the 2007, I would like to once again thank you for allowing me to represent you and our community in Frankfort . Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns or suggestions regarding our work in the General Assembly. I can be reached at home anytime or through the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. Those with hearing impairments may leave messages for me by calling the TTY message line at 1-800-896-0305. If you have internet access, you may e-mail me at Addia.Wuchner@lrc.ky.gov or follow the progress of the Legislature through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page:www.lrc.state.ky.us