Stivers wants to speed up action on heroin bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers says his chamber will do its part to start negotiations on legislation to combat heroin well before the final days of the legislative session.

The House and Senate have passed their versions dealing with the high-profile issue.

The House-passed bill was assigned Friday to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The panel’s chairman, Sen. Whitney Westerfield, said he’s hoping for a committee vote next week.

There are key differences between the chambers.

The House bill includes a provision allowing local governments to create programs in which heroin users could swap dirty needles for clean ones. Stivers says there’s considerable Senate concern about that.

The House bill would toughen penalties for higher-volume traffickers. The Senate measure would treat all heroin dealers the same, regardless of how much heroin they sell.