Kentucky lawmakers leave no major impact on EMS

By JOHN HULTGREN
Kentucky EMS Connection

FRANKFORT — Kentuckians will be able to drive faster, but if they wreck there will be no state-wide trauma system in place to care for them and perhaps a scarcity of new ambulances to transport them, even though legislators approved incentives for Ford worth millions. However, the worst paid emergency workers may see some relief with a minimum wage increase and there is no change to state retirement benefits - for now.

The Senate adjourned shortly after 10 p.m. EDT last night with the House following suit an hour later. They are scheduled to return next January unless Gov. Ernie Fletcher calls a special session before then. Fletcher said he is considering calling the lawmakers back into a special session to deal with some of the initiatives that didn't pass, including a plan to modify the state's pension plan.

Lawmakers raised the speed limit on rural interstate highways from 65 to 70 mph. State Rep. Hubert Collins, D-Paintsville, said the increased speed limits won't go into effect until after the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has conducted engineering studies to determine where the higher speed limits will be safe.

The minimum wage will increase from $5.15 an hour to $5.85 when the law takes effect in late June. In July 2008, it will increase to $6.55 an hour, and on July 1, 2009, it will rise to $7.25 an hour.

A mine safety law passed that would require two mine emergency technicians (MET) or emergency medical technicians (EMT) at underground mines of 50 or more employees, and one MET or EMT for mines with less than 50 employees. The bill follows one of the deadliest years in recent history for Kentucky coal miners. In all, 16 miners were killed in 2006, including five in a methane gas explosion in Harlan County last May.

Another law passed that would permit volunteer health practitioners to provide services in Kentucky during an emergency declaration. While this law will allow physicians and nurses to volunteer in Kentucky during an emergency declaration, there is no mention of emergency medical technicians or paramedics. The Kentucky EMS Connection asked each of the sponsors why they left EMS workers out of the bill, and a few that replied could only say that they didn't know.

But the perennial effort to establish a state-wide trauma system failed again this year. While House Bill 152 passed the House 96-0, it went to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee but was immediately reassigned to the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee, where it died.

Other bills that did not pass include:

• House Bill 18, which would have prevented EMS from billing fees under no-fault auto insurance in excess of the workers' compensation fee schedule. The Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association opposed this bill because the workers' compensation fee schedule has not been published yet. The bill made it successfully out of the House Banking and Insurance Committee but was then sent to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, where it died. KAPA has been warned that this bill has strong support from the insurance lobby and is expected to return.
• House Bill 26, which would have provided a state income tax deduction for volunteer firefighters, died in the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee.
• House Bill 377, related to health insurance coverage for air ambulance services, died in the House Banking and Insurance Committee.
• House Bill 516, which would have amended the definition of "injury" for emergency workers who contract a communicable disease from exposure to body fluids and human tissue, died in the House Labor and Industry Committee.
• Senate Bill 154, which would have prohibited certification or licensing of emergency medical services personnel convicted of felony sex offense, felony drug offense, or violent felony offense, died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

An impasse between the House and the Senate prevented action from being taken on the Senate's plan to bail out the financially ailing state retirement systems. The Senate proposed early this month to issue more than $800 million in bonds to bail out the retirement systems and reduce benefits for those hired in the future.

House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, agreed to the bonds but said more study was needed for any changes to benefits.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said the Senate wouldn't approve major initiatives unless the problems with the retirements systems had been addressed. He described the session as one of the most unusual he has seen and added that gubernatorial politics controlled major pieces of legislation. Richards is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in the May 22 primary.

Last night Fletcher laid blame for the failure to pass legislation dealing with urgent needs on Richards. "I think we had a significant meltdown under the speaker's leadership," Fletcher said.

Fletcher said he believes there needs to be a "cool down period" and wants to see some movement from the House before deciding whether to call a special legislative session on the pension issue and other matters.

In response to Fletcher's remarks, Richards said that Fletcher "was AWOL. The governor had no influence in this session. He is weak. He doesn't have any agenda."

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