By Tony McVeigh
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-953620.mp3
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- – Time is running out on the 2011 Kentucky General Assembly. Friday was day 18 of the 30-day session, and legislative leaders still hope to lop three business days off the session. But House Speaker Greg Stumbo admits that may be hard to do, since there's still much work to be done.
"I would hope that we could reach some accord with the Senate on the dropout bill, for example. I think everyone agrees that something has to be done on the Medicaid adjustment that Gov. Beshear has suggested. Something along those lines."
Stumbo says the pseudoephedrine bill also isn't dead yet. He says efforts are still underway to find a compromise on the bill, which has languished on the Senate floor for two weeks.
"There's an idea floating around that the liquid gel caps would not require the prescriptions. Apparently methamphetamine can be made from the liquid gel caps, but it requires a great deal of expertise - almost a chemical degree."
So far, only one bill has cleared both legislative chambers this session. The measure would allow optometrists to perform some surgical procedures previously only done by ophthalmologists. Gov. Beshear says he wants to talk to all interested parties before deciding whether to sign the bill.