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Kentucky Senate Republicans to Make Anti-Heroin Bill Major Priority in '15

Heroin comes in many forms
Heroin comes in many forms

Kentucky state Senate Republicans leaders say heroin legislation will rank among their top legislative priorities in 2015.

CN2 Pure Politics reports that GOP Senator Chris McDaniel will be the lead sponsor of the bill, which he says will target drug traffickers while also offering more treatment options to addicts.

Anti-heroin legislation introduced by a Republican lawmaker passed the Senate during this year’s General Assembly, but wasn’t passed by the Democratic-led House. Several lawmakers were concerned about the legality of a provision in the bill that would have charged dealers with murder if someone they sold to overdosed.

Read more stories related to heroin in the commonwealth here.

Heroin has been taking an increasing toll on the Bluegrass State, with the northern Kentucky region especially hard hit. A recent report from the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy shows that while the number of total overdoses remained steady in 2013, deaths caused by heroin increased by more than 12 percent.

The award-winning news team at WKU Public Radio consists of Dan Modlin, Kevin Willis, Lisa Autry, and Joe Corcoran.
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