A number of proposals I authored or sponsored advanced in the Legislature this week, and several were signed into law by the governor.  Senate Bill 1143 was approved unanimously by the full Senate this week and will advance to the governor’s desk.  The bill would require that public schools give students the opportunity to recite the pledge of allegiance each school day.  I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues and hope to see the measure become law soon.

House Bill 2666, which is designed to combat the sale of dangerous synthetic drugs, was signed by the governor this week.  The bill would bring a number of synthetic drugs under the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act.  Synthetic drugs have been responsible for numerous deaths and hospitalizations across the country in recent years.  In many cases, manufacturers and sellers have been able to avoid prosecution by slightly altering the composition of their drugs, producing chemical compounds that have yet to be listed as controlled dangerous substances.  HB 2666 adds a variety of different chemical compounds, including the chemical groups for synthetic cannabinoids, to the state’s list of controlled substances.

House Bill 2665 was also signed by the governor this week.  The bill allows the Prescription Monitoring Program to access information on registrants from other states.  This will limit doctor-shopping for prescription medications by out-of-state residents, and will be very beneficial to physicians who are practicing close to the state’s borders.