Now getting out of jury duty could become easier for some Kentuckians under a bill being considered in Frankfort.

Senate Bill 153 calls for amending a juror form to give those 70 years and older a chance to be permanently excused from jury duty.

The bill is sponsored by 76 year old Republican state Senator Johnny Turner of Harlan.

Under existing law that we passed a year ago, it says that if you're 70 years or older, you can be excused for that term that you're called.

Well, when you're 70 years or older and you get excused for that term, if they send you a form next year or two years, you just feel at it and say, I want to be excused.

And that could go on.

If you live to be 90 years old, you might do that ten times.

So all this bill does, it says if you are 70 years or older, you can and now and say, I want to be permanently used.

Don't waste taxpayer dollars on filling out forms, making me feel out of form that I get in the mail and I might be out of the country.

Old people like to take vacations every now and then, but the sheriff might be waiting on you for not showing up to jury service when you get back from Florida on a vacation or.

The bill passed the full Senate today with support and opposition of the bill crossing party lines.

My communications with my court officials have been quite different, and they are concerned from judges to prosecutors and others that we're arbitrarily removing a segment of the demographic that has been previously stated is rich in life experience and value.

I think there are valid times when someone beyond 70 years of age should be exempted from this.

I would have been much more comfortable if the bill had allowed the judge to simply make that decision.

My understanding of this bill, guys, is that if you're 70 and older, you only have to opt out once.

I mean, you don't have to opt out each and every time they ask you for jury duty.

I think if you're going to opt out once, unless you know something significantly changes, you should be opted out.

So I vote yes.

I decided to support this bill because of the multiple, multiple calls I've I've gotten over the years.

And I do think we owe that respect to our aging population.

Instead of assuming that they are just going to opt out because they are lazy, assume that they're going to opt out because, well, frankly, they're making very good decisions for themselves.

The bill passed the Senate today and now heads to the House for consideration there.