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Rodne seeks to protect
state's children from sex offenders
Rep. Jay Rodne,
R-Snoqualmie, is leading a bipartisan effort in the Washington State
Legislature for stronger sex offender laws that will help protect
children around the state.
“The safety of our children should not be a partisan issue. That is why
we are joining together to sponsor new laws to deal with sex offenders,”
said Rodne. “We have worked with law enforcement, prosecutors, victims,
and other concerned citizens to determine how we can best keep children
safe.”
“When it comes to dealing with sex offenders, Washington has a good
foundation on which to build. For example, we were one of the first
states to require sex offenders to register after being released and the
first state to pass a law allowing for the civil commitment of violent
sex offenders,” said Rodne. “But there’s still room for improvement and
we see an opportunity to strengthen our laws.”
Rodne and State Rep. Al O’Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, are introducing
legislation that would require 25 years-to-life in prison for an
offender who commits a violent sex crime against a child and 25
years-to-life in prison for a stranger who uses force to commit a sex
crime against a child.
“The bottom line is we
must ensure the most threatening sex offenders are off our streets so
they can’t harm children,” said Rodne. “For those sex offenders who are
released, it’s important we know where they are and that they register
properly. That’s why we are proposing increased penalties for sex
offenders who fail to register, or who lie when they register as
homeless but actually have a fixed home.”
Other components of Rodne
and O’Brien’s plan include:
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renewing the ban on
sex offenders living near schools or child care centers;
requiring registration within 72 hours for sex offenders moving here
from other states;
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mandating GPS trackers
on the worst sex offenders (Level 3) who are homeless and have
offended against a child; and
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requiring those
convicted of possessing child pornography to register as sex
offenders.
The 2006 legislative
session begins January 9 and is scheduled to run 60 days.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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