Safer Kentucky Act signed into law

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — Secretary of State Michael Adams was surrounded by supporters and fellow legislators as he signed House Bill 5 into law.

“This is a day we’ve been waiting on for many years,” Marcie Troutt said.

The Troutt family lost their daughter Madelynn after she was killed by a man who was released from jail after posting bail.

Madelynn’s Law, included in House Bill 5, regulates bail funding organizations.

“If we save one family’s life, or one family member, or we save families from having to go through the tragedy that we did, then we’ve done our job and that’s exactly what today’s about,” Troutt said.

The bill also changes Kentucky’s criminal statutes in many ways including creating tougher penalties on persistent violent offenders, those who flee the police, people charged with attempted murder and more.

“We needed criminal justice reform in our state and that’s what house bill 5 provides: meaningful, impactful criminal justice reform that is far overdue,” Rep. Jared Bauman said.

There are some who say passing this bill means darker days ahead for the commonwealth.

“I want to be wrong when I predict that HB 5, the Safer Kentucky Act, won’t make us any safer,” ACLU Senior Policy Strategist Kungu Njuguna said.

Several organizations gathered to say House Bill 5 will worsen the state’s overdose crisis, increase homelessness and deepen hardships for Kentuckians.

“However, we must remember that addiction is a health issue, not a criminal one,” Dream.org Senior Campaign Organizer John Bowman said. “We cannot incarcerate our way out of an overdose crisis.”

The Safer Kentucky Act will go into effect in July, changing many of Kentucky’s criminal statutes.

“Today I am begging prosecutors, judges and law enforcement to use the discretion that is granted to them and lessen the impact of this very harmful bill,” Njuguna said.