Senator Wise reports a

fast-paced week in Frankfort

By Max Wise, 16th District Senator

What a fast-paced week it was in the General Assembly. This was my first week of participating in all five of my standing committee assignments and being able to listen to testimony and seeing the committee process up close. I am happy to report that the Senate is keeping true to its commitment of passing through legislation and policy measures that are pro-family, pro-education, and pro-workforce.

Bills that impact the health and welfare of all Kentuckians were heard and voted on this week. One such piece of legislation is Senate Bill 10 – a measure that will ensure that hospitals meeting the requirements will be designated as stroke centers, and that the information is available to emergency services providers. This will ultimately allow EMT responders to know the closest stroke center to take a patient when the emergency call occurs. This legislation is especially critical in the 16th District as patients are transported to the nearest hospital. In stroke situations, every second is critical. This bill passed unanimously in the Senate chamber.

I was proud to co-sponsor a pro-life piece of legislation this week that also ensures full knowledge and understanding for the patient in Senate Bill 7. This bill requires an ultrasound and a physician-patient consultation prior to an abortion procedure. This legislation makes sure women considering abortion know all of the facts and risks of the procedure. I was happy to see the bill pass the Senate and now move over to the House.

Health care is a major problem in our Commonwealth, as we are all aware, and that is why I was happy to see Senate Bill 6 pass this week. Frivolous lawsuits are costly and burdensome to health care providers and drive up our health care costs. As a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 6, this bill will implement medical review panels that independently review negligence and malpractice suits before they move to the court system. This measure will help protect medical practitioners from costly lawsuits and negative impacts to their practice. If we want to retain and attract better doctors, we need medical review panels in Kentucky.

Lastly, we passed Senate Bill 9, which exempts school construction projects from the state’s prevailing wage law. This legislation will decrease construction costs of elementary and secondary school buildings by 7.6 percent.

I am humbled to represent you in the Kentucky State Senate and I am excited to see the work ethic of this chamber passing through invaluable legislation. I encourage you to follow me on social media (Facebook and Twitter) for updates throughout the session as I strive to fulfill the role of being a transparent citizen legislator.

The Kentucky General Assembly maintains toll-free phone lines to help everyone follow legislative action. If you wish to offer your feedback or opinion on any issue, you can call the Legislative Message Line at (800) 372-7181. Those who prefer to offer their feedback in Spanish can call the General Assembly’s Spanish Line at (866) 840-6574. Citizens with hearing impairments can use the TTY Message Line at (800) 896-0305.

A taped message containing information on the daily schedule for legislative committee meetings is available by calling the Legislative Calendar Line at (800) 633-9650.

by Kentucky Senator

Max Wise

16th Senatorial District