ERLANGER — The Kentucky Senate's Judiciary Committee is likely to make changes in the language of a drunken driving law that is resulting in some evidence being tossed from court, a Northern Kentucky member of that panel said Friday.

        Judiciary Committee member Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Erlanger, said the committee will act on some of the recommendations of task force created by Gov. Paul Patton that studied ways to curb abuse of the prescription pain killer OxyContin.

        Both topics were discussed this week in Frankfort during an interim committee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

        “People's lives are at stake,” Mr. Westwood said. “These are issues we must explore.”

        Though it will be only a minor change, Kentucky's revised DUI law contains a loophole that lawmakers need to address, Mr. Westwood said.

        “It's really only a few words, but after the lawyers got ahold of it, they found a way to get around part of the law, so we need to act and make that change,” he said.

        Kentucky's DUI law was altered last year, when the legislature voted to lower the legal blood-alcohol level from 0.10 to 0.08.

        Almost as soon as it became law Oct. 1, lawmakers, judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers said there were problems with the law's provisions about suspected drunken drivers taking a blood-alcohol test.

        Police are required to read the warning to stopped drivers before they take a blood-alcohol breath test, which is typically administered by a device at a police station

        The problem with the warning is that it implies that a consequence of refusing the test is a doubling of jail time for first offenders. The law, however, contains no mandatory jail time for first-time offenders.

        “It's confusing to people, it's misleading and it needs to be changed,” Mr. Westwood said.

City shows patriotism with rally at stadium
Muslims detained in N. Ky.
Ohio air units could get call
Rescue dogs suffer at site
Reservists wait for call
Witness describes Roach as 'role model'
Blacks to discuss city goals
Fest hats are very chic(k)
NYC still wants to host 2012 games
Officers to worship at black churches
Report due on police investigation
Team welcomed home from NYC
Tristate A.M. Report
SAMPLES: New York City
MCNUTT: Warren County
More than a hospital planned
Ohio says Byrd not due review
DUI law likely to change in Ky.
Erlanger homes will get flags
Kentucky News Briefs
Opening banners to wave on levee
PCBs worry residents
Road contractors get immunity to testify
Shrimp go fast at harvest
Tour shows remodeled homes in N.Ky.
War bond proposal moves to House-Senate panel