City approves sex offender signs

This is the kind of nonsense that needs to be fought in many ways, like make sign a lay it flat down, face down, on lawn. Get ACLU involved in this stupidity; clearly further punishment. Also fight on equal application of law, for other offenses are not so required; public safety is not the basis of this stupidity.

12-5-15 Texas:

GONZALES — The Gonzales City Council approved an ordinance at Tuesday night’s regular monthly meeting requiring registered sex offenders within the city limits to post signs in their yard alerting everyone to their crime. Though councilmen were quick to move forward with the motion, it took several more minutes to explain what the law could actually do.

City Manager Allen Barnes started by stating that several cities in the area have passed similar ordinances and said the law has been upheld by the courts. The ordinance would require registered sex offenders to place a permanent sign in their yard, measuring two feet tall and two feet wide, with black lettering stating, “A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER LIVES HERE.”

The motion to accept the ordinance was made by District 2 Councilman Tommy Schurig and seconded by District 4 Councilman Clarence Opiela. But before they could vote, a few questions were raised about how the law would work.

District 3 Councilman Lorenzo Hernandez asked Barnes a hypothetical question, like what would happen if a registered sex offender were to live next to a new park — such as a skate park — and families chose to no longer visit the area because of that. Barnes said that current laws state that sex offenders cannot live within 1,000 feet of a place where children generally congregate, such as a park. He also said that not all sex offenders are made alike. Some, for instance, have waivers and would not have to post the signs.

District 1 Councilman Gary Schroeder asked how the city could get offenders to comply with the law. As Barnes mentioned earlier in his remarks, 24 sex offenders live in Gonzales’ ZIP code. This is where City Attorney Jackie Williamson interjected a bit of reality into the proceedings.

Williamson explained that if the law were to go into effect today, that it is not retroactive and that the current offenders would not have to post a sign if they stayed put at their current residence. The only offenders that would be required to post a sign would be new offenders, sexual offenders that move into the city or if an existing offender were to move to another permanent location within the city. ..Source.. by Erik McCowan