Kerr said Tuesday the bill had been delayed by GOP leaders to punish her for not supporting a pension bill that would temporarily cut benefits for retired teachers. But Wednesday, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved Kerr's bill by a 9-1 vote. Republican leaders say the bill could pass the Senate later on Wednesday.
Kerr's bill would require pharmacists to tell patients about the importance of disposing of unused opioid medication. It had been a priority bill for the Senate and was scheduled for a vote Tuesday. But GOP leaders sent it back to committee. Kerr posted on Facebook it was to punish her for not supporting the pension bill. GOP leaders said that wasn't true.
Original Story:
A Republican state senator in Kentucky says GOP leaders are punishing her for her opposition to a proposal that would overhaul the state's woefully underfunded pension system.
Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr sponsored a bill that would require pharmacists to tell patients the importance of destroying unused prescription opioids. The bill was headed for a vote Tuesday, but GOP leaders pulled it from the schedule. Kerr wrote on Facebook it was in retaliation for her opposition to a bill that would temporarily cut benefits for retired teachers while pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the system.
Senate Republican leadership spokesman John Cox said the bill had a technical issue and was sent back to committee. He said it could be voted on next week.
