Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > November > 27
Friday, November 27, 2009
‘Horrific crime’ inspires bill to better monitor sex offenders
Sen. Nina Turner, D-Cleveland, has introduced legislation to increase oversight of the state’s most serious sex offenders in the wake of what Cleveland officials have described as “evidence of a horrific crime.”
Sen. Fred Strahorn, D-Dayton is a cosponsor of Senate Bill 217, introduced on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
An investigation has led to the discovery of the remains of 11 people after Cleveland police attempted to serve a search warrant last month and a suspect is in custody.
“The Imperial Avenue slayings on Cleveland’s east side are a gruesome reminder of the many cracks that still exist within the system of monitoring the sexual predators who reside in our communities,” Turner said in a press release.
“Unfortunately, criminals are able to manipulate these cracks every day. Under the current system, a Tier III sex offender can fulfill their monitoring requirements and still remain largely off the radar.”
The bill would:
*Increase the frequency of address verification by Tier III offenders from every 90 days to every 30 days.
*Require law enforcement to confirm the addresses of Tier III offenders every 90 days through face-to-face contact at the offender’s residence and track the outcomes of such visits.
*When a Tier III offender registers, law enforcement would have to confirm the person’s address through personal contact at the offender’s residence.
*Initiate mandatory community notification of the presence of a Tier III offender once a year, on the anniversary date of the original address registration.
Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment |
Tweet2 area senators picked to tackle long-range budget issues
State Sens. Chris Widener, R-Springfield, and Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, have been named to the state panel that’s supposed to figure out how to solve Ohio’s long-term budget problems.
Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, on Wednesday, Nov. 25, picked Widener and Jones for the Budget Planning and Management Commission.
“Much of the debate at the Statehouse in recent weeks has focused on how to fill an $850 million hole in the current state budget, and rightly so,” Widener said in a press release.
“But as the legislature and governor continue to debate possible short-term revenue options, it’s critical that we also work to identify practical, long-term cost-saving strategies that will help put our state on more stable financial ground moving forward.”
The current budget includes more than $7 billion in one-time money, including federal stimulus funds, that won’t be available for the next budget in two years, said Widener.
The commission is to develop a strategy for balancing the next state budget, Widener said.
The commission includes three members from the House and three members from the Senate.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment |
Tweet