Kentucky Newsmakers 3/13: Rabbi Shlomo Litvin; Boyle Co. officials Tom Ellis, Dr. Eric Guerrant

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - On the latest episode of Kentucky Newsmakers, WKYT’s Bill Bryant talks with Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, Boyle County Magistrate Tom Ellis and Boyle County EMS medical director Dr. Eric Guerrant.

Some Jewish leaders in Kentucky have called for state lawmakers to take antisemitism training after controversial comments have been made at the Kentucky State Capitol during this session of the legislature. Two lawmakers made references during a discussion about getting a better price on a state rental during a committee meeting. Then last week, a lawmaker brought up Jewish people and the Holocaust during an abortion debate.

In all cases, the lawmakers apologized. Rabbi Shlomo Litvin is chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council and runs the Chabad of the Bluegrass and the UK Jewish Student Center. He joins us to discuss.

There’s been a lot of talk about ambulance service during this session of the legislature, and it has taken hours of discussion to arrive at a compromise bill that passed the House this week.

Until about 40 years ago, it was a patchwork in the state. Funeral homes sometimes transported the sick and injured in hearses, volunteer rescue squads handled some cases in makeshift vehicles and larges cities developed EMS out of their fire departments.

But requirements got tougher and in the 1980s most counties established ambulance taxing districts and formed local services.

House Bill 777 would create the Kentucky Board of Medical Services as an independent agency of state government and there would be exemptions provided for the requirement that ambulance services get a certificate of need. There would also be a study of medical services to be completed this year.

We recently talked to representatives of mental health, hospitals and long-term care facilities about their frustrations with non-emergency response times. Joining us with their perspectives are Tom Ellis, a Boyle County magistrate, and Dr. Eric Guerrant, the medical director for Boyle County EMS.

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