FRANKFORT, Ky. — Lawmakers returned to the Capitol this week after a three-week hiatus, but we have hardly been taking a break. Our budget committee has been hearing from executive branch officials about potential cuts to state services and ideas to bridge the gap. On Wednesday night, the governor delivered his State of the Commonwealth Address, detailing his proposals for eliminating our State’s $456 million deficit, which must be addressed immediately.

We are working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives to develop a bipartisan plan to tackle this immense problem - - one shared by almost every other state. We hope to see a consensus emerge from the House in the next couple of weeks so we can get to work on the legislation we need to deal with our short-term needs. In the meantime, we have also focused on the generations to come. We want to ensure that Kentucky can continue to grow its economy and provide a bright future to our children and grandchildren.

We dealt with this long-term vision in two ways this past week: by aiming for better schools and by combating the scourge of drugs that plagues our citizens.

We passed two bills this week designed to get people the help they need in kicking the drug habit. The overwhelming bulk of the growth in prison spending relates to drug-related offenders. Housing prisoners costs a lot of tax money, and this is compounded by the fact that these felons have a tough time re-entering society and holding a steady job, further eroding our tax base. If we want to build our economy, we have to do better than simply locking people up. We have to treat the problem to make sure that once they leave prison, they can create a better life for themselves and their families. In many cases, we can heal their problems without them going to prison in the first place.

Senate Bill 4, we hope, will do just that. If it becomes law, it would allow people to be screened for drugs almost as soon as they are arrested. As a condition of bail, the judge could require outpatient drug treatment and counseling. One problem we often see is that offenders commit other crimes while out on bail because they are still addicted. When they go before the judge, they are then multiple offenders and receive longer sentences. Under SB 4, these offenders could beat their addiction, stay clean and straight, and lead a normal life without going to prison.

Substance abusers with more serious problems could volunteer for more intensive treatment in a secure facility, much like a minimum security prison. The program would last three months to a year, giving them the opportunity to completely focus on improving their life and eliminating the influence of drugs. In both the outpatient and inpatient programs, follow-up counseling and long-term monitoring would ensure that offenders become productive members of society.

The war on drugs, of course, must be fought on multiple fronts. We also passed SB5, which I sponsored, that would give law enforcement agencies better tools to keep drugged drivers off the road. We have specific standards for drivers who consume alcohol — a 0.08 BAC is the law — but it is much more difficult to convict drivers with meth, cocaine, or other controlled substances in their systems. SB 5 would presume that any controlled substance in the blood is a violation unless it is part of a valid prescription taken correctly.

Our DUI laws have been successful at keeping dangerous drivers off our streets and highways, but we can take that success further. To protect our families when they travel, we can get drug users off the roads and into a treatment program.

The other focus of the week was on our schools. We approved legislation, Senate Joint Resolution 19, directing the Department of Education to re-design the State’s math curriculum. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has found that with so many lessons to learn every year, students cannot concentrate on the most important concepts. Teachers need fewer, clearer guidelines that allow them to go more in depth on key areas. Cities like Singapore and Hong Kong, which are among the highest achievers on worldwide math tests, have successfully used this approach, and we think it will work for our students as well. The economy of the future will be based on math and science skills, and our students must master the basics if they hope to have high-paying jobs. Strong math skills will also reduce the number of students taking remedial coursework when they get to college, saving their families money immediately.

We have accomplished a great deal already, but we are only eight days into our work. We are focusing on long-term needs now, but very soon we will be making the tough choices needed to get us through our current fiscal situation. I hope you all continue to give me your opinion and input by calling our Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181 or by e-mailing me at ray.jones@lrc.ky.gov.

Senator Ray Jones represents Pike, Martin and Johnson counties.