By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A handful of bills cracking down on sex offenders are making way through the state legislature this upcoming session. The authors of two of those bills say this is in reaction to the outcry last year involving some high-profile cases.
State leaders aren't pulling any punches this legislative session when it comes to the safety of our children. This comes on the heels of some disturbing cases of child rape and molestation making news beyond Oklahoma.
Bill O'Reilly stated on Fox News, "You do not give a child rapist one year in prison in the United States of America."
O'Reilly's reaction to David Earls' light sentence for rape last year was shared by many in and outside Oklahoma. It is also responsible, in part, for some of the strongest proposed legislation to date.
House Bill 2965 which was written by State Representative Rex Duncan would do just that. Duncan wants anyone previously convicted of rape of a 6-year-old or younger that has a previous conviction on a similar charge to be sentenced to death.
"I think it'll pass by the same margins that we passed in 2006," said Rep. Rex Duncan (R). "The imposition of the death penalty for repeat child molesters, I would certainly expect the same legislatures who voted for that to vote for this version."
Freshman Representative Mike Sanders is seeking similar support for a sex offender bill he wrote. This came after a review of the sex offender registry.
"It wasn't clear, it wasn't defined and a light bulb went off in my head," Rep. Mike Sanders (R) said.
Sanders' bill would require more specifics. He wants the registry to include the names of each hospital or penal institution a convicted child molester spent time in, a map-able address and a zip code of his or her current address, how long he or she lived there and expects to remain.
"The current law says 45 days," said Sanders. "I think that's too long. I want to cut that to 10 days. We as a community must stick together and make sure we protect our kids."
Now when these bills get introduced, debated and moved into committee, it's likely they'll merge and become one. Representative Sanders said he's open to that as long as his changes for the registry remain in place.
And the Senate is also taking action against sex offenders. State Senator Dan Newberry has written a bill, that if passed, would mandate electronic monitors for level two and three sex offenders after they're released.
State lawmakers are taking a stance to put tougher laws in place for sex offenders following some high-profile cases this past year.
David Earls, 64, pleaded no contest to charges that he raped a 5-year-old. His case received national attention earlier this year after he received a 20-year sentence, with 19 years suspended, meaning he'll only serve one year.
