Kentucky Committee Advances Amish Safety Measure

A Kentucky House transportation committee voted 25 to 1 Tuesday in favor of a Senate bill that would allow the Amish to forego a longstanding traffic safety measure in the name of religious freedom.

Both the House and Senate have passed different bills that would allow the Amish to use strips of reflective tape on the backs of their horse-drawn buggies rather than bright orange slow-moving vehicle triangles that some object to on religious grounds.

The latest proposal now goes to the full House for consideration and, if approved there, would be forwarded again to the Senate for final passage.

Gov. Steve Beshear has not said whether he would sign the bill.

State Sen. Ken Winters, R-Murray, sponsor of the legislation, said the measure has an emergency clause that would allow it to go into effect quickly.

The measure was prompted by recent jailing in Graves County of Amish men for refusing to pay fines for not using the orange signs.