'Three-Strikes' Crime Reform Bill Advances in Kentucky House

The Safer Kentucky Act, which includes a life sentence provision for three-time violent felony offenders, faces criticism for its focus on incarceration over addressing underlying crime causes.

• The Kentucky House Judiciary Committee has advanced a crime reform bill, known as the Safer Kentucky Act, which includes a 'three-strikes' provision that would result in life imprisonment for those convicted of three violent felonies.
• The bill also includes provisions such as making fleeing police a Class C felony, creating a standalone statute for carjacking, and increasing penalties for several other crimes.
• The legislation has faced criticism from some Democratic lawmakers who argue that it fails to address underlying issues leading to crime, and instead focuses on incarceration as a solution.
• The bill also seeks to address the state's high death toll from drug overdoses by toughening penalties for knowingly selling fentanyl or a fentanyl derivative that results in a fatal overdose.
• The legislation now heads to the full House for consideration, and if passed, will proceed to the GOP-led Senate.

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