April 30, 2008, Portland Press Herald

Governor Declines to Sign LD 446

Legislation Would Have Changed Maine's Sex Offender Registry

AUGUSTA - Governor John E. Baldacci announced today that he will not sign LD 446, An Act to Improve the Use of Information Regarding Sex Offenders to Better Ensure Public Safety and Awareness.

The legislation would have narrowed the circumstances under which someone convicted of a sex crime between 1982 and 1992 would be required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

According to Department of Public Safety estimates, as many as 580 currently registered sex offenders would no longer be required to register. The legislation attempts to differentiate between dangerous [sex offender] criminals and individuals who are less likely to re-offend.

"The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee spent a year trying to improve the Maine Sex Offender Registry. They have worked thoughtfully and diligently in their efforts to better define who should be required to register as a sex offender," Governor Baldacci said.[*]

"I cannot, however, support this legislation. It would remove from the Sex Offender Registry perhaps as many as 580 people who have been convicted of a sex crime. While the Committee applied safeguards to make sure repeat offenders will remain on the list, we do not know which individuals will be removed from the registry and what level of risk they present."

 "By Joint Order, this summer the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will convene to study issues related to the sex offender registration laws, including better ways to classify offenders based on risk. It would be premature to change the current law with this important review about to commence," Governor Baldacci said.

*Of Note: Of the 13 Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee members, Representative Hill was the sole dissenter of proposed legislation LD 446. Her minority report sited the need to correct the sex offender registry list by removing the names of people, based on the type of crime committed, who should have their names removed. However, she advocated a tiered and monitored release of names, with the "no-child-contact law", for the worst former predatory offenders to protect children from new offenses being committed. Citing many of the same issues that Hill raised in her dissent, the Governor, in a rare move, vetoed the legislation that passed without debate in both the Maine Senate and the House of Representatives.