Amish buggy bill passes Kentucky legislature

UPDATE: Gov. Steve Beshear signed the bill into law, Roger Alford of the The Associated Pressreports. "I think we were able to fashion a solution that helped folks with their religious issues but at the same time still maintained the standard of safety that we have to have on our highways," Beshear said.

"A bill to provide an alternative for Amish buggy drivers who object to using bright safety triangles on their vehicles was approved Tuesday by the Kentucky House and is headed to Gov. Steve Beshear," Gregory Hall and Joseph Gerth report for The Courier-Journal. The bill would allow them to use one-inch silver reflective tape instead of the standard orange reflective triangle for slow-moving vehicles.

Several Amish men in Western Kentucky have been jailed for refusing to pay fines for traffic citations not using the triangles. Their sect's beliefs don't allow them to use bright colors to draw attention to themselves and the men claimed the requirement infringed upon their religious freedom. They've appealed their convictions to the Kentucky Supreme Court, but if Beshear signs the legislation, it would go into effect immediately and make the case moot, Hall and Gerth report.