Assemblyman Marc Butler (R,C-Newport) joined the ranks of the Assembly minority today in calling for renewal of an expiring Megan’s Law provision that requires Level 1 and 2 convicted sex offenders to be publicly identified on the state Sex Offender Registry for 10 years.
“Today, we are calling on our counterparts in the Assembly majority to join us, the governor and the state Senate to craft legislation that would keep the identities of these offenders on the registry after January 21,” said Butler. “If we don’t act now, nearly 170 sex offenders will be able to interact with our children as nameless faces before this month is over.”
The 168 lower-level sex offenders are to be dropped from the registry if no action is taken by legislators and the governor, according to a provision in Megan’s Law. By the end of 2006, such inaction would allow 3,579 convicted sexual predators “to return to a life as anonymous strangers, as well,” added Butler.
“Not only would we be protecting the innocent and weak by extending this crucial provision, but we would also be afforded the chance to reach an agreement on the equally crucial civil confinement legislation,” said Butler. “We owe it to all New Yorkers to let bygones be bygones, and reach a consensus on the issue as soon as possible.
“It is at times like this that politics must be set aside and an agreement must be reached for the good of all New Yorkers. The residents of New York cannot wait for other people to act – they need and deserve their elected officials to do the job they were elected to do. This isn’t about playing politics; it’s about the thousands of innocent lives in our state that could be affected by us not taking action,” concluded Butler.