Kentucky News Now – March 27th 2014

CANNABIS OIL

Ky. House OKs trial use of cannabis oil

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky House has voted to legalize a medicinal oil derived from marijuana or hemp to treat childhood seizures.

The bill passed the House on a 98-0 vote Wednesday. It was an emotional scene, as lawmakers applauded young seizure victims and their parents who watched from the back of the House chamber.

Rita Wooton, whose young son suffers from chronic seizures, said later she felt like she had won the lottery.

She said she'll seek the treatment for her son as soon as it becomes available in Kentucky.

The measure now returns to the Senate, which has passed the bill once before.

If the Senate accepts a small change made by the House, the bill goes to Gov. Steve Beshear for his consideration.

BUS STABBING

Grand jury declines to indict man in bus stabbing

(Information in the following story is from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com )

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Jefferson County grand jury has decided not to charge a man who was accused of fatally stabbing a teenager and injuring another on a public bus this month.

Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad said a video of the stabbings presented to the grand jury showed Anthony Rene Allen retreating when he stabbed 14-year-old Me'Quale Offutt and a 13-year-old girl. Commonwealth's Attorney Thomas Wine told reporters people can use deadly force if they think their lives are in danger.

The Courier-Journal said Allen was released Wednesday and charges of murder, assault and tampering with evidence were dropped.

Offutt's death inspired a vigil Saturday night, and teens later erupted into sprees of robbery and assault that went on for about three hours. Conrad said he didn't know if any of the teens gathered for the memorial were involved in the violence.

SWEET 16 WAGER

Yarmuth, Barr bet local bourbon on UK-UL game

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The two congressmen who represent the districts that are home to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville are betting on their basketball teams with another Kentucky tradition — bourbon.

Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth of Louisville and Republican Rep. Andy Barr of Lexington said Wednesday they are wagering locally distilled Kentucky bourbon on Friday night's Sweet 16 game between the two schools, whose teams also happen to be the two most recent NCAA champions.

In a news release from Yarmuth's office, Barr said he expects the Kentucky Wildcats to win the game since they beat Louisville earlier in the season. Yarmuth, however, points out the Cardinals' leading stats and coach Rick Pitino's undefeated Sweet 16 record.

I-75 CHALLENGE

State police to join I-75 crackdown

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police are teaming up with law enforcement from five other states along the Interstate 75 corridor to try to reduce traffic fatalities.

The "I-75 Challenge" campaign is being conducted in support of a nationwide initiative by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to reduce U.S. traffic fatalities by 15 percent this year.

The challenge will consist of four high-visibility enforcement weekends. The March 28 and Dec. 26 weekends will target impaired driving; June 27 will be motorcycle safety; and the weekend of Sept. 26 will focus on occupant protection, distracted driving and speeding.

During the enforcement periods, increased numbers of law enforcement officials will be positioned along the 1,786-mile I-75 corridor.

The other participating states are Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan.

ROADS

Senate passes $3.6 billion road funding bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Senate has agreed to spend an extra $37 million on the Brent Spence bridge project in northern Kentucky.

The money was included in the Senate's version of a two-year, $3.6 billion spending plan to repair and replace roads and bridges across the state.

The House included $22 million in federal money for the bridge. The Senate added an extra $37 million on top of that. Neither body included money from tolls.

The bridge connects Covington with Cincinnati. Kentucky owns the bridge and is responsible for its maintenance. The 50-year-old, double-decker bridge includes Interstates 71 and 75 and exceeds the capacity it was designed to carry. It will cost $2.6 billion to replace.

Ohio has spent $68.1 million and Kentucky has spent $20.9 million on the project so far.

HEROIN ABUSE

Kentucky House panel OKs anti-heroin measure

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky House panel has cleared a measure aimed at stemming the tide of heroin abuse in the state.

The bill would provide a three-pronged approach to the problem, combining treatment funding with harsher penalties for trafficking and education for kids.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Senate President Pro Tem Katie Stine of Covington.

Stine says the bill would allow courts to treat high-volume heroin trafficking charges as a homicide.

But J. Guthrie True, president of the Kentucky Association of Defense Lawyers, says that the bill goes too far by placing the burden of proof on the defense and is unconstitutional.

The measure cleared the panel on a 12-0 vote.

The bill now moves to the full Kentucky House for consideration.