The Assembly minority can put this week in the books as a victory. Through the work of a conference committee, both houses of New York’s state Legislature were able to agree on new Megan’s Law provisions, an issue the Assembly minority has pushed for some time.
"As soon as we vote this into law, we will be able to ensure the safety and protection of our women and children," said Assemblyman Marc Butler (R,C,I-Newport). "I feel we were able to force another eleventh-hour agreement by sticking to our guns and pressing what we feel is an incredibly important issue."
Under the new agreement regarding the state Sex Offender Registry, Level 3 offenders continue to register for life, while Level 2 offenders must register for 30 years, after which they may petition judges for removal from the registry requirements.
Nearly 170 offenders were slated to drop from the registry on January 21, but now that will not happen.
"Our next goal is a civil confinement policy," added Butler. "Any sexual predator deemed to be dangerous to the public should not be let out of confinement. I have the confidence it will pass, and I know that my conference members and I can make that happen."