Assemblyman Marc Butler (R,C,I-Newport) today met with other members of the Assembly minority conference to call for tougher laws punishing those who would commit crimes of sexual nature.
“The safety of all New Yorkers should be the most important item on the agenda for all Legislators. Thankfully, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has allowed this legislation to go before a Conference Committee, where it will be debated and eventually voted on,” said Butler. “Gov. Pataki has set forth a comprehensive package that will protect the innocent in our state from those who would seek to do them harm, and it’s time we do something about it.”
Gov. George Pataki introduced his five-point plan last Thursday following his ‘State of the State’ address. The five points tackling the issue of sexual predators are as follows:
- Prevent the release of sexually violent criminals into communities
- Create longer prison sentences for sexually violent predators
- Strengthen Megan’s Law
- Require all criminals to give DNA samples
- End the statute of limitations on rape and other crimes so that DNA evidence can be used to help convict, no matter how many years since the rape occurred.
“This is a major victory for the Assembly Minority Conference and for all New Yorkers,” Butler concluded.