Senator Whitney Westerfield has been recognized by the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy for his work on Senate Bill 32.
According to a news release, Senator Westerfield of Christian County was awarded the Public Advocate Award—along with the others responsible for the passage of the bill, including Senator Phillip Wheeler Jr., Representative Ed Massey, the ACLU of Kentucky, the Children’s Law Center, Kentucky Smart on Crime and Kentucky Youth Advocates—during the recent annual Public Defender Conference.
Senate Bill 32 received passage during the 2021 session of the General Assembly, and eliminated the law that required all children who commit any felony in which a gun was used to be tried as adults, while children who committed more serious and violent offenses without a gun could stay in juvenile court. Now the court system can make decisions best on what course of action is best for each case.