The debate over a sweeping anti-crime measure dominated floor action in Kentucky's House of Representatives for hours as they acted on what's called the safer Kentucky Act House Bill five.

It stiffens criminal penalties and lengthen sentences and adds a three strikes law for violent offenders.

Kentucky Additions Jun Leffler has our lead story as we begin tonight's legislative update.

The omnibus crime Bill, House Bill five, has been championed by Jefferson County Republicans for months.

And just today on the House floor, lawmakers adopted these changes.

I know some burglaries, robberies, arsons and strangled patients will now be considered violent Crime continue.

Attempted violence will also be considered a violent crime.

Offenders will not be released early if they carry a gun illegally during a crime.

It allows people to sleep in their cars for up to 12 hours while all other public camping is deemed illegal.

And the bill reduces a proposed penalty of murder to manslaughter for anyone that traffics a drug that causes a fatal overdose.

The House floor debate was intense, with several Democrats challenging the sponsor on the measure's cost up charges for additional and existing crimes and specific provisions impacting the homeless.

But the problem that the Suffer Kentucky Act is trying to solve is not an increase in crime.

It's an increase in manufactured fear to reduce violent crime.

What would it take to create real solutions?

It would take looking at the perpetrators.

The root cause is evidence based prevention and deterrence.

Where do these crimes take place?

When and why?

This bill, rather than acknowledge the difficult work required to actually make Kentuckians safer, has one solution to a host of different problems.

Increase penalties.

Lock them up.

What if, instead of spending millions upon millions of dollars, that House Bill five will cost the state in increased incarceration?

We could focus on how to deter criminal behavior.

With House Bill five, we're increasing the punishments for criminal activities.

We are saying to the offenders, What is wrong with you?

Why won't you behave?

We are going to increase the penalties to get you to behave.

What if, instead of saying what's wrong with you, we say, What happened to you?

Well, before the individual commits a violent crime, violent criminals are likely to have a long history of lower level offenses, sometimes starting when they are juveniles.

What if we ensure that children involved in the juvenile justice system, who have witnessed violence, who are who were victimized by violence, get the supports they need before they escalate their criminal behavior.

Republicans say now is the time for accountability and justice.

The status quo right now, what we have is not okay.

There's a moral imperative for us to help and reach out.

There are two different approaches.

The slow approach erodes communities if it's too big.

This problem has to be tackled.

I celebrate the efforts that are being done in Lexington, and I know a bill like this is critical for other parts of the state to rein in their issues.

A Lexington Democrat asked lawmakers to strike the anti public campaign measure.

That amendment failed.

What is not known is how much the Safer Kentucky Act will actually cost the state, creating the need for an updated fiscal impact.

Statement for Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you June and amended House Bill five The safer Kentucky Act was approved by the full House on a vote of 74 to 22.

Some Republicans did vote against it.

It now heads to the Senate for further consideration.