A bill pending in the Mississippi Legislature would require employers of registered sex offenders to notify parents or guardians of minors who might be in direct, private and unsupervised contact with the employee.
The bill would apply to all registered sex offenders regardless of the date of conviction.
The House Judiciary B Committee on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 2532 to the full House for a vote. If the full House approves it, the bill will go to Gov. Phil Bryant to sign.
The bill can be read here: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2019/html/SB/2500-2599/SB2532IN.htm
I live in a rooming house with 5 other S/0’s that I do not know personally. The sheriff officer threaten to lock me up because I didn’t register their vehicles which is absurd becayi have no access to their vehicles
This is not a big deal.
Now that I’ve got your attention, look it: It does not apply to jobs where that contact that might be direct, might be private, might be unsupervised. It specifically exempts jobs where the contact will be casual or incidental.
It only applies to those jobs where the employer has reason to know that the contact WILL be private AND direct AND unsupervised. Not the sorts of jobs that many registrants were going to apply for in the first place.
It would be reasonable to advocate for an amendment which exempts those who haven’t offended against children and/or have been offense-free in the community for x years. But beyond that, there’s no clear argument against such a law, is there?
Yes – because it imposes an obligation on employers, many will not want to deal with it because of the contingent liability or potential exposure. If it becomes law that employers of registrants have a special set of obligations – many will avoid hiring registrants simply to avoid the hassle.
That’s pretty much the entire purpose (unspoken intent, if you will) of the bill – to prevent anyone from hiring registrants.
Were there numerous reports of registrants reoffending at their places of employment? Was there a spike in sexual recidivism among registrants at all? What exactly was the inspiration behind this legislation?
Absent any other explanation, I would argue that this bill is nothing more than evidence of a legislative body whose compulsion to write more SO laws is comparable to the proven mythological urges they claim registrants have to commit more sex crimes. Honestly, can any legislature in the US go one single session without writing more SO laws based on purely on phantasms and without any hard evidence or statistics to show their necessity? Guessing not.
Nonsense man, give them in an inch and they will always take it up a level.
In other words, they want those who employ registrants to either fire them or post signs that say “DANGER: SEX OFFENDERS WORK HERE.”
Call it what it is – a bill to add more inane “sex offender laws” with absolutely no basis in fact to bolster the public image of the author and legislature as a whole.
Is there no one there in Miss. state to advocate for the Register Citizen?
I’m just to the north in Tennessee. We aren’t facing that kind of bill….YET, but we have a problem with our chapter of the ACLU not wanting to touch any sex offender rights issues.
I have contacted the TN ACLU before with regards to my religious freedom being unconstitutionally abridged by the annual 11-day Halloween curfew that applies to offenders under T.D.O.C. community supervision and their canned response is “Challenges to sex offender laws have been largely unsuccessful. Therefore, we must choose carefully what we spend our limited resources on.”
I even contacted the national chapter over the lack of help from the state chapter and never heard squat out of it.
Sadly the only justice for registrants comes when one has the money to hire a skilled private attorney who knows how to frame the legal argument properly.
I am a regular listener to “Registry Matters” and the point Larry repeatedly makes is states can do what they want legislatively until they stop of their own volition or are taken to court and ruled against. Only when the courts make the state back off will they do so.
How is it that Legislatures can issure compliance after the Judges Gavel.
Such a shame and open for their biased discretion. The idea that staying clear of all children entirely is irrational and impossible. So there go the jobs for these people because obviously people will be scared and the employer will lose business etc. etc. Where are all the attacks on children in public happening? Someone please point me to an incident of this type happening anywhere?
I agree. The upside is this law might push those on the registry to get more involved in the fight against these kind of laws. I help by training (for free) those on the registry and their family members on how to fight back politically on the ground in the community and make a good living while doing it. It’s fun.
Robert, can you also do that for folks just to the north in Tennessee, please?
My main issue is the annual Halloween curfew for us registrants who are on community supervision for life. This curfew runs for 11 days from 6 pm to 6 am. I faithfully attend church every time the doors are opened year round. During curfew I have to miss 1 or 2 Wednesday night Bible study assemblies. Offenders who work nights can break curfew to work, but Christians can’t go to evening services. That’s a direct violation of my 1st Amendment right to the free exercise of my faith.
That’s dumber than a box of rocks. I guess nobody is thinking of the numerous negative repercussions from passing something like that.
the world runs on money.As Congress taught us with its 200 million dollar slush fund to hide its rape,molestation, pedophilia and random sex crimes..210% make sure anyone on the registry stays a destitute 3rd class citizen and unable to mount a legal defense or make thier plight known..smart..evil but smart.as I have said from day one..courts and legislators wont restore your freedoms any more then the British would have restored the colonials..for every one freedom returned 100 will be taken..As long as you allow them authority over you there will always be the risk that even what is restored will be taken.. the government as is WILL NEVER follow the law or keep its promises..when will you learn?.you want freedom ?..you better be ready to do what your ancestors did in 1776..you think it is dangerous ?..is your current situation safe?..sheep waiting for the slaughter..protecting and voting for the politicians that will slaughter you tomarow ?
Well said…Well intentional…. However too many sheeps and not enough wolves!!
They just need someone else to be the most hated.
I’ve never been in direct, private, and unsupervised contact with any children in any aspect of any job I’ve had in the past 27 years I’ve been oppressed by the state of Flori-duh. Can’t think of any reason I would or even could be, so this would have zero impact on me if inacted here. Regardless, it’s a typical waste of resources. Private prison cuckold lawmakers trying to seem tough on crime while using any drummed up sex offense platform to push an agenda and fill the private prisons as they empty of marijuana inmates. Perhaps we should be fighting to make private prisons a thing of the past and to give power back to the judges.
Like there’s any chance this WON’T pass?? Staunchly conservative Legislature in a staunchly conservative State, with a lame-duck, staunchly conservative Governor.
Sadly we in the south are in the “Bible Belt” where fake Christians are the rule of the day. I am blessed to worship with true Christians who believe the laws that keep me unemployable and marked for life are ridiculous. I have a great support system in place with my church family. Maybe we need more REAL CHRISTIANS WHO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE’S TEACHING ON REDEMPTION AND FORGIVENESS in office.
Not surprisingly, this bill passed the MS House on 3/13. There were ZERO nays in either chamber…again, surprise, surprise. Now off to the rabidly conservative, lame-duck governor for his rubber stamp.
Nothing new here – Just adding more punishments to the American citizens deemed and labelled as “non-persons.”
Just another day of punishment in American formerly known as “the land of the free.”
You would think that the poorest state in the country would have other priorities.
Thats a bunch of bull what does everyone want these people to do go on welfare or is it a case that ron book is in everyone pocket thats why they go back in cause it better having 3 meals warm bed us taxpayers pay for it
Well I hope he don’t come to Grand Canyon State.. Sheriff Joe was removed for his behavior I would cut out his mug shot and paste it to poster broad during his speech if he came here
Really? Why would Drunken Ron venture two States over for this (relatively) weak addition to MS’s SORA? Seems Drunken Ron has a few other things on his plate right now versus lobbying a rabidly conservative State on passing legislation as such.
Not saying it didn’t happen, it just seems peculiar.
Go on welfare? That’s a JOKE! As a single man with no dependents in TN I am blessed to even get my $192/month in food stamp benefits. There isn’t crap out there in the way of public assistance for a single male with no kids. Period. All we get is flipped off at every turn.