Kentucky's Legislative Session Wasn't A Complete WASTE, As Governor Signs New Crime Bill Into Law. But, We STILL Need To Repeal Annual Session Law.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A bill hailed as a bi-partisan effort to control the soaring costs of Kentucky’s corrections system while providing better treatment options for drug offenders was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Steve Beshear.

“It enables the state to continue to be tough on crime, but enables us to be smart about it,” Beshear said before signing the measure that experts predict will save about $42 million a year, about half of which will be reinvested in treatment programs and probation and parole efforts.

The law passed the House and Senate with only one dissenting vote in the House.

The final product was the result of months of work by a seven-member task force representing the judicial, executive and legislative branches of state government. Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London, and Rep. John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville, chaired the task force, which also included Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton and state Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown.

The task force was provided support from the Pew Center on the States, which worked with the group to formulate ideas. The effort was supported with $200,000 from the state budget.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said it’s estimated that Pew invested more than $800,000 in resources, including staff dispatched to Kentucky, in working with the task force.

“This is a day where Kentuckians – all taxpayers and citizens – are winners,” Williams said.

Kentucky houses about 20,500 state prisoners at a cost of about $440 million. In 2008, the Pew Center reported that Kentucky had the nation’s fastest growing prison population, though it has declined slightly in recent years.

Changes in the law aim to steer low-level, non-violent offenders out of prisons by using programs that offer community supervision and more drug and alcohol treatment.

Jensen said the key to coming up with the final legislation was the commitment showed by task force members to find common ground and the willingness of interested parties to offer ideas and suggestions.

“It was tough,” he said. “But if you work together … you can make tough decisions and make it work.”

House Speaker Greg Stumbo said this is the most important legislation to come out of the 2011 session, which is expected to conclude next week.

“This one piece of legislation proved the worth of this session,” Stumbo said, adding that the spirit of cooperation used in the process should serve as a model for getting things done.

The work of the task force is expected to continue, although no specific agenda or timetable have been set.

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