IA- Missing: Courage, debate on sex-offender legislation

4-3-2009 Iowa:

The Iowa Legislature appears to be headed in the right direction on legislation that could make children safer from pedophiles. There are just two problems: Legislators may continue to be too weak-kneed to do the right thing, and the public has been virtually excluded from the discussion.

Lawmakers have a golden opportunity this session to repeal a state law that at the very least does nothing to protect children from pedophiles and arguably makes the public less safe. But instead of having an open debate with a proposal on the table, key legislators have worked on a bill behind closed doors.

This is no way to bring the public along on a controversial issue of great importance. Iowans deserve to have an open discussion and to be trusted with the details. If there isn't time to do it right this session, then put it off for a year.

This effort began with a mandate from Congress that Iowa bring state law into conformance with a federal sex-offender statute, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. Iowa legislative leaders saw this as an opportunity to amend the state's residency rule that prevents convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and other facilities that serve large numbers of children.

State and local law-enforcement officials and prosecutors, and even victim-advocacy groups, have repeatedly told legislators that the residency restriction does not prevent convicted pedophiles from hanging around those facilities. And it so limits legal housing options that many offenders simply disappear from the radar screens of local law enforcement.

Yet political "leaders" are terrified that, in the process of rewriting the law in an effort to make children safer, they will be accused of being soft on crime.

Iowa has squandered enormous amounts of time and resources keeping track of sex offenders while political gridlock in the Statehouse prevented the state from taking steps that might really protect children from actual pedophiles. After all, sexual assaults are far more likely from a trusted family member or friend than a stranger lurking on a playground.

The first step must be to eliminate - not just modify - the 2,000-foot residency rule, and replace it with truly effective restrictions on convicted sex offenders. ..News Source.. by The Register's editorial board