6-23-2008 Louisiana:
BATON ROUGE — Just having perpetrators of identity theft register with local and state police, much like sex offenders do, isn't enough, members of the House said Sunday.
With a 68-26 vote, the House rejected a conference committee report that tossed out a House amendment requiring people who commit violent crimes to register.
Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, who handled Marrero Sen. Derrick Shepherd's SB4 in the House, said the conference committee removed the provision because there was no way to fund it. The bill requires identity theft criminals to pay a $60 fee when they register to cover the cost of administering and distributing the list but there was no such provision for other crimes.
--Guess they forgot that sex offenders are paying fees.
"When we got this back from the Senate, a note on it said it was unconstitutional," Burrell said.
--OK, why is it constitutional for sex offenders and not for other crimes?
Rep. Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, said requiring those who committed violent crimes should register, too, because when areas of the state have to evacuate, "it would be important for the shelter to know if there was a rapist or a murderer in the shelter."
Burrell said if someone wants other criminals to register, he should file his own bill.
Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, author of the House amendment that was rejected, said putting the bill back in a conference committee could find the answer to the constitutionality question and the panel could add a fee for the other criminals to register.
The committee must come back with another suggestion that can be approved before the session ends at 6 p.m. today or the bill dies. ..News Source.. by Mike Hasten
June 23, 2008
LA- House wants criminals to register
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