Kentucky

FRANKFORT -- State lawmakers took a brief pause from their regular work one afternoon this week to convene in the historic chambers of the Old State Capitol as part of the kickoff of the Lincoln Bicentennial celebration.

The Feb. 12 event was held on the 199th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth and is just one of many celebrations that will be held in Kentucky and across the nation over the next two years to honor the Lincoln Bicentennial. While at the Old Capitol, which served as Kentucky's statehouse during the time of Abraham Lincoln's presidency, lawmakers approved a resolution honoring Lincoln as a Kentucky native and the president who held the nation together during the Civil War.

While the event at the Old Capitol gave lawmakers a chance to come together to celebrate Lincoln's legacy, they spent most of the week pushing bills through the legislative process and taking a closer look at the budget proposal presented by Gov. Steve Beshear.

In Senate action, a measure was approved that would create a Golden Alert program to make people aware when an adult with an impairment has gone missing. Similar to the Amber Alert for children, the Golden Alert that would be established by Senate Bill 125 would require rescue squads and other search crews to notify local media of searches for adults with certain impairments, such as Alzheimer's, so that a larger number of citizens could be on the lookout for the missing person.

Members of the Senate also approved Senate Bill 63, which would prevent topless dancers at adult entertainment businesses from being within six feet of their audience members. The legislation would ban nude dancing altogether, and is aimed at clearing up a patchwork of local ordinances dealing with the issue.

In the House, representatives approved legislation that would require young children be placed in booster seats when riding in motor vehicles. House Bill 55 would apply to children under 8 years old who are considered too big for child seats yet too small to ride safely in regular car seats. Under the proposal, violators would face a $50 prepayable fine but would not have to pay court costs or additional fees. The exemption from additional costs would also apply to those who fail to properly secure an infant in a child restraint seat or who violate the state's seatbelt law, which carries a prepayable fine of up to $25.

In House committee action, the House Judiciary Committee took up legislation to protect children from online sexual predators and create the crime of "cyberstalking" in Kentucky. House Bill 367, which now goes to the full House for consideration, would make it a Class D felony to solicit a child for sexual purposes via the Internet or other electronic means. It would also create the crime of cyberstalking --or continuously annoying, intimidating and harassing someone online.

The General Assembly has a number of ways for citizens to stay informed about legislative activities during the session. They can visit the Legislative Research Commission Web site at www.lrc.ky.gov or call several toll-free numbers:

   The Bill Status Line: 866-840-2835.

   The Calendar Line (for meeting schedules): 800-633-9650.

   The Message Line (to leave a message for an individual legislator): 800-372-7181.