Two New Laws May Help State Finances

In an interesting twist Kentucky can now take advantage of a law passed here and one in Florida as a win/win. The Florida law cracks down on pill mills in that state – notorious for bogus prescriptions that are then filled and the medications sold on the black market. Kentuckians have been supplied with prescription drugs for some time through this means and Florida’s crack down doesn’t cost us a cent. The enforcement and costs happen in another state entirely.

The second prong is a reduction in penalties here in Kentucky. People caught with small quantities of illegal drugs will now have to pay a fine instead of going to jail. This helps our finances in two ways. The fine adds to the state’s coffers and there is considerable savings by not having to arrest and process small time users. Currently, our jails suffer from overcrowding. In some cities, the available jail space is gone and facilities are over capacity – many of the jailed were in for non-violent, minor drug offenses.

How much of an economic impact will this have for the state? No one really knows yet. The first visible change may be less incarcerated addicts and a lower jail population. However, the figures on dollar amounts won’t be known until the fiscal year is finished.

Enforcement will still be harsh for dealers or those caught with large amounts of drugs. You can hear one Kentuckian’s response on YouTube. How much the push-back from the law and order side of the political spectrum will be is also unknown. Generally, our state is very anti-crime. But even here there has to be a balance between what we can afford and what we’d like.

Where this has been tried in other states, the fine without jail has acted as a filter. Some habitual offenders will just ignore court dates and fines… eventually leading to their arrest and more traditional penalties. The filter allows those who are willing to change to get a pass and a chance. That sounds fair.