Great news from Jessica’s Law co-sponsors Senator George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (both pictured center right), who have announced that 713,787 signatures were submitted today to election officials throughout the state. This virtually assures the ballot-initiative version of Jessica’s Law will go before the state’s voters in November. The campaign needed to collect 373,816 valid signatures to qualify the statutory measure. "This is a historic step in our efforts to protect Californians and especially our children and grandchildren, from sexual predators," said George Runner.
This morning, local Jessica’s Law supporters gathered at the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters’ Office to turn in 63,000 signatures. Below is the text of a release from the Jessica’s Law campaign regarding the San Bernardino signature turn-in.
SAN BERNARDINO — Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt (Jessica’s Law Statewide Co-Chair), Assemblyman Bill Emerson (Regional Co-Chair), District Attorney Mike Ramos, Anthony Adams (Regional Co-Chair & Candidate for the 59th Assembly District) and Gabrielle Derocher (President of Mothers Against Predators) met at the County Registrar of Voters’ Office today to submit approximately 63,000 signatures to qualify the Jessica’s Law Initiative for the November ballot.
"California needs to start protecting our children in the same fashion as San Bernardino County," said Ovitt. "Voters here in San Bernardino County have spoken loud and clear; it’s time our children are afforded the protections they deserve."
In an effort to better protect children and citizens from sexual predators, the Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act ("Jessica’s law") was introduced as two bills in the California State Legislature. This legislation is co-sponsored by State Senator George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner. However, with an anemic Public Safety Committee in the State Assembly, supporters anticipated no movement in the Legislature and started collecting signatures to qualify Jessica’s Law for the November ballot.
"In the past, such measures have been defeated in the legislature even though they are desperately needed and widely supported by California’s families and law enforcement," said Supervisor Ovitt. "Our support of these measures is crucial to having them acted on quickly by the State Legislature." "This is typical of the ‘Anti-Public Safety Committee’ in the Assembly," said Regional Co-Chair Anthony Adams, "where voters are forced to do the work of the Legislature because certain officials don’t believe in providing our children all of the protections they deserve."
California’s Jessica’s Law, as proposed, is the combination of SB 588 (G. Runner) and AB 231 (S. Runner). Both bills have been introduced in each house of the State Legislature concurrently. Jessica’s Law would offer several new and strengthened provisions to state law including GPS tracking of paroled sex offenders for life, new residency prohibitions for offenders who live within 2000 feet of schools and parks, and stiffened "sexually violent predator" provision for violent first time offenders. Jessica’s Law would also increase penalties for these offenses, increase parole terms, and add new punishable offenses for sex offenders. For additional information regarding the Jessica’s Law Initiative please visit www.jessicaslaw2006.com.
Contributor’s Note: San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus, a statewide Jessica’s Law co-chair, was traveling to Sacramento today leading the county’s delegation on a legislative trip. Postmus, for whom I serve as chief of staff, congratulates the Runners as well as all of the local leaders and the volunteers who have worked so hard to get Jessica’s Law qualified.
February 21st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Kudos to the Runners for their strong leadership on this initiative. It’s hard to fathom how such a common sense law could not pass through the legislature. Oh wait, the pervert caucus of Leno, Goldberg et al has been doing this for years. I guess I’m not surprised.