Sen. Runner Withdraws Bill From Hearing

Senator Sharon Runner has withdrawn Senate Bill 1021 from further consideration. The bill, which would have allowed local governments to prohibit some registered citizens from living in their cities and counties, was scheduled to be heard on April 19 by the Senate Public Safety Committee. Runner’s withdrawal of the bill is reported to be linked to her failing health, however, it may also be linked to the strong opposition to the bill voiced in letters submitted to the Committee by CA RSOL, the ACLU, the CA Sex Offender Management Board…

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Janice’s Journal: IML – Court Denies Request for Preliminary Injunction

Today the dragon won.  That is, the federal government was given permission to continue its implementation of the International Megan’s Law (IML). The U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California denied our Motion for Preliminary Injunction which attempted to stop the government’s addition of a Scarlet letter to the passports of American citizens as well the government’s notifications to foreign countries that citizens intend to travel there. The court’s denial was based, in part, upon the legal concept of ripeness.  That is, whether the issue was ready (or…

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NY: WE NEED TO RETURN POWER TO LOCAL GOV’T TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM SEX OFFENDERS

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I- East Patchogue) hosted a press conference today to highlight the need to fix laws pertaining to the sex offender registry to help keep our children and communities safe. Since the start of 2016, some level one sex offenders have been removed from the registry, while a State Appeals Court decision last year removed all local restrictions on where convicted sex offenders may reside. He was joined by his Assembly colleagues and Paul Alonzo, Program Manager of Parents for Megan’s Law. “In February 2015,…

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Congressman Nadler Introduces the Keep Kids Safe Act to Stop Sex Offenders Who Target Children from Owning or Acquiring a Gun

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation to prevent guns from getting into the hands of sex offenders who prey on children. Federal law prohibits persons convicted of a felony from buying, selling, or possessing guns or ammunition, yet it is perfectly legal for someone convicted a misdemeanor sex crime against a minor to acquire a firearm. The Keep Kids Safe Act of 2016 would close this safety gap, making it illegal under federal law for someone convicted of a…

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MN: Appeals court hears challenge to constitutionality of Minnesota Sex Offender Program

A federal appeals court in St. Louis heard oral arguments Tuesday about whether the state of Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program violates the Constitution with its practice of indefinite detention. The case before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals could force the state to make a series of politically unpopular reforms to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP), which has come under fire for its failure to release more offenders into the community. Full Article

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