Senate Bill 57 deals with emergency medical devices designed to summon help during an emergency situation.
"We had a death in Danville that was a sad situation," Buford said. "The button was pushed and the call was made to the home. When they (company) couldn't understand what the person (needing help) was saying because they'd had a heart attack, they (company) just quit trying to do anything. At that moment they should have called 9-1-1, but they did not."
Just minutes after the woman had activated the device, her son found her and called 9-1-1, but it was too late, Buford said.
"This (bill) will not set any specific regulations, but it allows for the Kentucky Emergency Medical Board, which oversees our ambulance services, to act. They will set the regulations on what this will be," Buford said. "They could require licensing (or) they could require that they pay a certain bond if they're going to do business in Kentucky, that would be payable in the event of a problem."
Buford is confident both bills will pass the Senate without a hitch.
"I do not expect any 'no' votes on either bill," he said.
Senate Bill 58
Another bill Buford has sponsored is Senate Bill 58. He's wanting to amend KRS 528.135 relating to the torture of dogs and cats, to provide that the first offense, as well as subsequent offenses be considered a Class D felony.
"It resurrects my old bill that was passed about five or six years ago," he said. "If you torture a cat or dog, on your second offense you'd be committing a felony. It's the same bill, but I'm trying to change that bill so that your first offense could be considered a felony. That would be determined by the judge and a jury of your peers."
Presently, torturing a cat or dog is a misdemeanor.
Buford cited an FBI study tying animal torture to serial killers.
"More than 77 percent of the individuals that are incarcerated that are serial killers admitted that in their youthful years they had done animal torture on cats and dogs," Buford said. "There's an established pattern. Hopefully we can get to these people early and stop them from doing this and perhaps rehabilitate them from their ways."
SB 58 is presently before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Gov. Beshear budget speech
Gov. Steve Beshear spoke about the state's budget crises during a speech Tuesday night.
"It was quite an interesting talk," Buford said of the speech. "It appears that the teachers will receive no raises and 2 percent for other state employees."
During his speech, the governor called for $10 million to be devoted to the Kentucky Horse Park for road improvements, $9 million for runway improvements at Bluegrass Airport, $17.5 million for lock and dam improvements throughout the state and $13.5 million for the University of Kentucky livestock research facility.
"I think those are wonderful projects, and I've always supported them," Buford said. "That will be a great influx of infrastructure for central Kentucky that will spill over to our working individuals in Nicholasville and hopefully they'll get some jobs.
The mention of expanded gaming to include casinos did not go over well, Buford said.
"That's a touchy subject in Nicholasville and Wilmore," he said. "It's a casino issue. The governor said he'll get over $500 million and some predict $1.1 billion. If we do eight of these and auction them off of the highest bidder, the LRC study shows we'll get $300 million. Somewhere in between there lies the truth."
Buford said the casino issue has very little support in the Senate, and he suspects not many House members will be willing to vote on it during an election year.
"Many of them have an opponent," he said. "I don't know if they want to find out what a 'yes' or 'no' vote would do to them.
"When the governor mentioned the issue on the floor last night, you could have heard a pin drop," Buford added.
