Committee advances sex offender bill

A prime example of the short-sighted thinking of lawmakers. If registrants must go in to perform whatever, that means they cannot be working and may even lose a job. Now, if a registrant is paid less, due to time off, that means s/he will ultimately pay less in taxes at year end. Even if that only amount to -I don't know exactly- whatever, that amount multiplied by the number of registrants will far exceed the claimed cost of $70,000 dollars to taxpayers. Short-sighted thinking, every thought has consequences, lawmakers ignore consequences of their acts!

1-21-2011 Arkansas:

LITTLE ROCK — The House Judiciary Committee endorsed a bill today that would require sex offenders to verify their registration in person at local law enforcement agencies.

Currently, sex offenders are required to register with local law enforcement by mail every six months.

The sponsor of House Bill 1007, Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, said the measure would save taxpayers at least $70,000 a year in postage because sex offenders are currently notified by mail when it is time for them to renew their registration.

The bill goes to the House.

The committee spent time debating HB 1015 by Rep. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, which would require a judge to impose a $250 fine on anyone the judge orders to register as a sex offender.

Under current law, a judge can opt not to impose the fine if “undue hardship would result,” but HB 1015 would eliminate that option.

Some committee members asked for a written statement of the bill’s financial impact on state prisons, which would have to house sex offenders who did not pay the fine. Woods agreed to pull down the bill and obtain the information.

The Judiciary Committee voted to stream its meetings live on the House website. No “no” votes were heard.

In the House Revenue and Taxation Committee today, Rep. Andrea Lea, R-Russellville, presented HB 1134, which would create a sales tax holiday for disaster-preparedness supplies from Sept. 10-23 every year.

Lea did not have a statement from the Department of Finance and Administration on the financial impact of her bill. She voluntarily pulled the bill down and said she would bring it back with a statement.

“One of the reasons I presented this today without the DF&A (statement) and everything is just to put it in your hopper to be thinking about,” Lea said. ..Source.. by John Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau