Bill to kill sex offender residency restrictions hits a sand bar
Legislative update April 29, 2010
By Chris Dornin, 228-9610
Sex offender residency restrictions look not so dead
Never say never at the New Hampshire Statehouse
The Senate voted April 29 to table HB 1484 banning towns from using residency restrictions against sex offenders. The legislation sailed through the House and seemed like a slam dunk after the Senate Judiciary Committee backed it 5-0 last week. That was a ringing non-partisan vote. But not so fast.
Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, made the tabling motion, which passed without debate in a unanimous voice vote. Whatever caused that crash of a superb piece of legislation took place outside the Senate chambers away from public scrutiny in a place founded on the principle of open government.
D’Allesandro said afterward some senators had expressed concerns about a related court case. He would have meant the Dover District Court decision last summer striking down the city’s 2,000 foot buffer zone around schools and daycare centers. The city was trying to evict the plaintiff, Richard Jennings, a registered sex offender. The court found the ordinance violated his fundamental property rights even though he was a renter.
Sen. Sheila Roberge, R-Bedford, said the tabling motion came from the Senate Democrats. The Republicans were surprised by it. Sen. Deborah Reynolds, D-Plymouth, chairs the Judiciary Committee and echoed D’Allesandro. Some unnamed people were worried about the bill.
That’s where things stand for now. We don’t know who those people are. I won’t be able to get over to the Statehouse in person again until next week to learn more. Two Democratic sponsors of the bill, Reps. Beth Rodd and Mary Stuart Gile, are trying to find out what happened and let us know what we can do to save the bill. They’ll be talking to Senate Democrats. It’s too soon to speculate further.
What you can do about HB 1484
A simple majority vote of the Senate can still remove a bill from the table. That rescue gets harder near the end of the lawmaking term. The time is now to call, write, email and meet with your senators to urge them to revive and pass this important bill. Just tell them how the bill would affect you. Be sure and let all five-members of the Judiciary Committee hear from you as well. You can find out how to reach your local senator at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/senate/senatemembers.asp.
Senate Judiciary Committee members
Deborah Reynolds 536-1552 536-8980 ext 10
Sheila Roberge r (H) 472-8391
sheila.roberge@leg.state.nh.us
Robert Letourneau (O) 271-2118
robert.letourneau@leg.state.nh.us
Matthew Houde 271-2104 (H) 504-2744
Bette Lasky d 888-5557 (603)271-2735
Bette.Lasky@leg.state.nh.us