The Remarks of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Megan's Law Bill Signing

State Capitol, 2nd Floor, Red Room
Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Let me begin by commending the Governor and my colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate, most especially the members of the Legislature's Megan's Law Joint Conference Committee, for the bipartisan effort that today is ensuring the extension and strengthening of this critical law.

Allow me to acknowledge those members of the Assembly who served on the Conference Committee:

• Assembly Member Jeff Aubry, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Corrections, and Co-Chair of the Conference Committee;

• Assembly Member Joe Lentol, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Codes;

• Assembly Member Helene Weinstein, Chair of the Assembly Committee on the Judiciary;

• Assembly Member David Koon;

• And Assembly Member Will Barclay.

We're also joined by Assembly Member Margaret Markey, who is also a strong advocate for a more effective Megan's Law.

As I said on the opening day of this legislative session, being a father and a grandfather there is nothing I despise more than those who prey upon and harm the smallest, weakest, and most vulnerable among us.

The legislation the Governor will sign momentarily ensures that sexual predators will not drop out of sight only to reappear unnoticed in some unsuspecting neighborhood.

It also ensures that we can revise Megan's Law when and if federal legislation is signed into law, so that New York can fully participate in the national fight against sexual predators and not lose federal funding.

Let me be clear. New York State would be better off if we had a uniform, national law so that those offenders who come here from other states will not slip through the cracks.

A national registry would provide a better system for tracking sexual predators. Since it would apply to every state, we will not have to find out the hard way about sexual offenders that have failed to follow our law, which requires immediate registration.

In closing, I hope that we will continue to work together in this legislative session to further reduce violence in this State in all of its forms.