Washington House Democrats

Protecting your family from sex offenders

January 9, 2006

Guest column
by Representatives Al O’Brien and John Lovick 

The safety of our children is more important than partisan politics.

That’s why we are reaching across the aisle to our Republican colleagues to write tougher laws dealing with sex offenders.

We’ve worked with police officers, prosecutors and victims to find ways of keeping our children and families safe.

It’s the right thing to invite everyone to the table – Democrats and Republicans – so we can get the best possible protections against sex offenders who threaten our children.

New reforms

Protecting children is our top priority. The reforms we’re introducing this year will make our children safer.

Our proposals:

·                    25 years to life for a violent sex crime against a child;

·                    renew the ban on sex offenders living near schools or child-care centers; and

·                    require those convicted of possessing child pornography to register as sex offenders, so local families can be informed and protect themselves.

We’re also proposing that sex offenders who move here from another state register here within 72 hours.

Released sex offenders who fail to register – or lie when they say they’re homeless but actually have a fixed address – would also face increased penalties under our legislation.

And to protect children, we’re asking for GPS trackers on the worst sex offenders (Level 3) who register as homeless and have offended against a child.

Stand up and speak out

Despite the support of police, prosecutors and victims, it will be difficult to pass some of these reforms.  We expect some resistance to creating longer sentences for sex offenders.

We’ve worked with Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate – and the state attorney general. We appreciate their support and ideas.

Toughening the laws dealing with sex offenders should be a team effort, because we will get much more done to protect our children if both parties work together on this issue. We need to do what’s right to protect children.

If you care about this issue, add your voice to this debate. Stand up and speak out – send an e-mail to your local lawmakers or write a letter to the editor. We’ll need the support of everyday citizens like you to get these reforms passed into law.

Rep. Al O’Brien (D-Mountlake Terrace) retired after a career as a police officer and police supervisor. He chairs the Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee. Rep. John Lovick served 31 years as a State Trooper and is Speaker Pro Tem of the House.