Sannie Overly

A bill that would strengthen Kentucky's human trafficking laws has passed a Senate committee and appears ready to finally become law.

House Bill 3 is sponsored by state Rep. Sannie Overly, a Paris Democrat and the House majority caucus chair. It's considered so-called "safe harbor legislation," which would require treatment for victims of human trafficking instead of legal ramifications, such as prostitution or immigration charges.

After a few small changes in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the bill passed easily Thursday and heads to the Senate floor. The legislation has already passed the House.

Overly said years of work on the bill—plus changes to this year's bill to recruit past opponents—gives House Bill 3 a good chance to become law.

State Rep. Sannie Overly has filed a bill that will allow the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to explore public-private partnerships to help construction projects with big price tags.

Some Kentucky lawmakers say they’ll push to strengthen the Commonwealth's human trafficking law during the upcoming legislative session.  Democratic State Rep. Sannie Overly tells the Lexington Herald-Leader she plans to sponsor a bill similar to one she introduced last year to increase training for law enforcement.  The measure would also use money from those convicted of such crimes to pay for victim services. 

The Senate is expected Friday to consider a measure to attempt to fight human trafficking in the state.  The bill sponsored by Democratic Representative Sannie Overly of Paris passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday evening with changes recommended by public defenders.  It would make it a crime to patronize a minor victim of human trafficking, strengthen current laws to help prosecutors get convictions in human trafficking cases, create a special state police unit on human trafficking by training existing officers and establish a victims' trust fund.  Penalties under the bill coul

The state House of Representatives has passed two-year and four-year financial plans for building Kentucky roads and bridges. The House passed three infrastructure bills this morning, 88-4. The bills are full of projects from sidewalks to building interstate bridges across the Ohio River and widening other highways across the commonwealth.

The Kentucky House budget committee has approved the next two-year road plan for the commonwealth.

The committee easily passed the plan and the Transportation Cabinet's operating budget today.

The road plan funds many of Governor Steve Beshear's big initiatives, such as widening both Interstate 65 around Bowling Green and the Mountain Parkway.

Bill sponsor Sannie Overly didn't offer specific details about the committee's changes to the measures, but says there are some.