There is no doubt that this bill violates the constitutional "Right of Association" a First Amendment Right. U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions. Upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.3-29-2011 Oklahoma:
Despite the protest of the founder of an Oklahoma City mobile home park that provides housing for more than 250 men who are registered sex offenders, a House panel approved a measure Monday that he said would put his Christian prison ministry out of business and put about 100 convicted sex offenders out on the streets.
About 40 residents of Hand Up Ministries watched as the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 852 by a vote of 8-4. It now goes to the full House.
Rep. Colby Schwartz, R-Yukon, said the Oklahoma City Police Department requested the bill to clarify an existing state law that was intended to keep convicted sexual offenders from living together.
David Nicholas, founder, president and executive director of Hands Up Ministries, said three sexual offenders are placed in three-bedroom mobile homes at his mobile home park, 2130 SE 59. He said 273 live at the park.
Nichols said convicted sex offenders can’t reside in most of Oklahoma City. State laws ban them from living within 2,000 feet of schools, day care centers and city parks.
Residents are required to have jobs and to get regular treatment, he said. They pay $400 a month to live in the mobile homes.
SB 852 would define a multiunit structure in which registered sex offenders are allowed to reside to mean a structure with multiple residential units that provide independent living facilities for living, sleeping, cooking, eating and sanitation within each individual unit.
In a telephone interview, Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty said his agency is not trying to put the mobile home park out of business.
“We are trying to define what we think the true intent of the law was when it was passed and that was for one dwelling, one sex offender.” ..Source.. MICHAEL MCNUTT
1 comment:
If this bill passes into law will the Department of Corrections have to change the living arrangements of all sex offenders that are incarcerated? As it stand they put sex offenders in the same cells and bunks in open dorms. They have to share living pace, showers, toilets, chow halls. Some prisons don't have dividers or curtains on showers or toilets. So everyone sees what you have or what you are doing. Some times even rape. There are 850 non registered Sex Offenders living in Oklahoma City. But the Chief of Police would rather waist tax payers money pushing a clairity of a bill rather than spend time finding those not compling with state laws. He has too much spare time I guess waisting it on this bill. Get a life.
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