If there was really ever any question after the number of signatures submitted, Jessica’s Law has qualified for the November ballot. As a result, the citizens of the State of California will have a direct ability to enact what the predator and pedophile apologists in the legislature have denied them for several years…an ability to have a sensible means of protecting our neighborhoods and children.
Cities like National City, Santee and La Mesa (my own) in SD County and others in the state have in the meantime taken matters into our own hands, by enacting or looking at laws that effectively flaunt current state law in this regard, by adopting local ordinances restricting the presence of registered sex offenders from areas where children congregate. We believe we must, because to wait for the state to do the right thing does not make our kids any safer while we’re biding our time. And, by the way, this doesn’t exactly put us in a good light with the ACLU and ambulance chasers.
Jessica’s Law will change all that, making local ordinances a moot point by placing significant restrictions on sex offenders. I believe in local control, but this is an example where uniform state law is needed now. As long as the courts are going to let ’em back on the street, we should have a right to restrict and monitor them. My libertarianism goes out the window when it comes to my family.
Congratulations to George and Sharon Runner, supporters like Phil Thalheimer, and the many others that got Jessica’s Law to this point. On to November!
Here’s the release:
Southern Californians for Jessica’s Law Announces Jessica’s Law has Officially Qualified for the November Ballot
Phil Thalheimer and Local Elected Officials to Hold Announcement
April 18, 2006 – San Diego, CA – Southern Californians for Jessica’s Law today announced that the Sexual Predator and Punishment Act of 2006 (Jessica’s Law) has officially qualified for the November Statewide Ballot. According to the statewide campaign, of the 700,000+ signatures submitted, over 524,000 were counted as valid.
Through efforts of Southern Californians for Jessica’s Law and the Campaign for Child Safety, among all counties in the state, San Diego County delivered the second highest number of signatures on February 21, with 143,510, falling just slightly behind the number of signatures submitted from Los Angeles County.
Phil Thalheimer, Chairman of Southern Californians for Jessica’s Law and a Regional Co-chair in the statewide Campaign for Child Safety, is very pleased the proposition will now appear on the November ballot. "I am thrilled this proposition will be taken to the voters in November. Through the tremendous amount of signatures collected, both locally and statewide, the people of San Diego, and California as a whole, have spoken loud and clear: We need to protect our communities from sexual predators and we need Jessica’s Law now. I want to personally thank everyone who helped with our efforts, especially the local leaders and volunteers who have helped get this important message out," Thalheimer stated.
"This is a major milestone in the efforts to protect California’s children from predators," San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis said. "I want to thank all those who showed their support by signing the petitions, making sure it qualified for the November ballot."
Advocates for Jessica’s Law will be holding an official announcement at Los Penasquitos Elementary School, Thursday, April 20th at 9:30AM. At this event, Phil Thalheimer will join a host of regional supporters including San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, other campaign staff and volunteers.
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Southern Californians for Jessica’s Law is proud to partner with the Campaign for Child Safety in the effort to qualify and pass Jessica’s Law in the State of California. Jessica’s Law is named in memory of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who was taken from her home in Homosassa, Florida, on February 23, 2005, and found brutally murdered three weeks later. A registered sex offender
with an extensive criminal history and outstanding warrants for probation violations confessed to abducting, raping, and burying Jessica alive only 150 yards from the home where she had lived with her father and grandparents.