Sex Offender Legislations Stalls in Session's Final Days
If meaningful progress is to be made in the 2010 session, it will require last-minute heroics by Citizens for Jessica's Law over the next three days.
Governor Martin O'Malley's package of sex offender bills has passed - but his measures are viewed as administrative tinkering that fail to accomplish the stricter penalties viewed as most effective by supporters of "Jessica's Law."
The Senate has passed both measures that are the focus of lobbying by Citizens for Jessica's Law. The first measure requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years without parole for a second degree rape or sex offense against a child. Senate Bill 622, sponsored by Minority Whip Nancy Jacobs, passed the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and the full Senate and now sits in the House Judiciary Committee.
However, when the House of Delegates passed House Bill 254, the companion bill to Senate Bill 622, it was amended to a shorter 15 year mandatory minimum sentence. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has conformed the House bill to the Senate bill by amending it back to the 20 year sentence. The conformed bill will be voted on the Senate floor today and sent back to the House Judiciary Committee.
If the 20-year mandatory minimum sentence is not adopted by the House Judiciary Committee, the House can hold the bill (and they fail) or appoint a conference committee to reconcile their differences. If conference committees are appointed by both chambers, they must complete their work by midnight on Monday when the session adjourns.
Joan Harris of Citizens for Jessica's Law questions the legislature's priorities when a bill banning hand-held cell phones is praised as a major accomplishment but critical measures to protect children from heinous crimes fail to pass.
For last minute updates from "Citizens for Jessica's Law," visit their website www.citizensforjessicaslaw.org click here or their Facebook fan page click here.
To see prior posts about the 2010 Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly, visit our website at www.mdsenategop.com
To see prior posts about the 2010 Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly, visit our website at www.mdsenategop.com
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