FRANKFORT, Ky. — Of the entire 72-page Safer Kentucky Act, State Rep Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, only supports one section which would issue a person an ID when released from jail.

What You Need To Know

  • State Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, filed House Bill 5 Tuesday

  • The broad-reaching public safety bill is known as the Safer Kentucky Act

  • Democrats including State Rep. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, don't feel this is the right way to address crime

  • Herron suggests looking at ways to improve current laws as opposed to creating new ones 

“It’s the only thing that I agree with in that bill,” Herron said.

Beyond that, Herron does not back the broad-reaching public safety measure. Tuesday, State Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, filed House Bill 5. His bill has 45 cosponsors.

“Look at what we're doing currently; look at the programs that we currently have,” Herron said. “Are they working or are they not working? If they're not working, then we need to revamp those instead of broadening our current criminal code to incarcerate more people."

The Safer Kentucky Act addresses mostly violent crime and violent offenders. One section would create a three-strike law where repeat violent criminals would receive a life sentence. Others create a statewide carjacking ordinance — regulate charitable bail funding organizations — and increase penalties on several crimes like fleeing police.

But the section Herron finds particularly harmful would criminalize street camping, she said.

“If we really wanted to deal with the homeless and houseless situation, we would put money into housing," Herron said. "We would create and build more affordable housing. Then also, we would put more money into those nonprofit organizations who are serving these individuals."

HB 5 would make camping on roads or under overpasses a crime. It also allows cities to designate an area where homeless individuals would be permitted to camp. The bill also would require people to begin treatment for substance abuse disorder or alcohol to receive supportive housing.

Cosponsors of HB 5 feel cracking down on violent offenders is the best way to address public safety concerns statewide.

“We've done a lot, and we will continue to do a lot to address drug addicts and other underlying causes of crime,” said State Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville. “But this bill is about putting people who are going to continue to commit crime, getting them off our streets. We're not going to be compassionate to those people.”

Crime affects Kentucky cities both large and small, Herron said, but she thinks what’s been proposed won’t be a good solution. 

“One thing that we know is that we have a housing crisis in this state," she said. "When you talk to local jailors, there’s an overcrowding crisis within our local jails. This bill does not help any one of those issues.”

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