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Beshear Signs Amish Buggy Bill

Ad Meskin

Drivers of slow moving vehicles now have the option of using reflective tape instead of the standard orange triangle while on Kentucky roads.

Governor Steve Beshear signed Senate Bill 75 into law today. The bill is in response to the jailing of Amish men in Western Kentucky, who refused to use the orange triangles for religious reasons.

Those men can now use white or red reflective tape on their buggies when on the road.

Beshear says he signed the bill after consulting with transportation officials.

"I talked with the Transportation Cabinet about that bill and they've assured me that we will be able to maintain the safety on the highways with the approach that was taken in the bill. So with that assurance I went on and signed the bill," Beshear says.

Supporters hope the new law will reduce the amount of court incidents with religious groups that rejected the triangle.

While moving the bill through the General Assembly, lawmakers said Amish communities had already agreed to use the reflective tape on their vehicles.

Kenny Colston is the Frankfort Bureau Chief for Kentucky Public Radio (a collaborative effort of public radio stations in Kentucky). Colston has covered Kentucky's Capitol and state government since 2010. He is a Louisville native, and a graduate of the University of Kentucky. When he's not tracking down stories about Kentucky politics, you can often find him watching college sports, particularly football.
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