Sex offenders have to live somewhere

Sex offenders don’t have lobbyists, which is why they are easy marks for politicians seeking votes and why nobody much cares about rules such as those forbidding them to observe Halloween. But sex offenders who’ve completed their sentences are still entitled to some rights. That’s why lawmakers should be cautious about the proposal by House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, to establish a 2,500-feet sex offender-free zone around schools or licensed day care centers, and perhaps around other kid-friendly places statewide. Indeed, in some tiny towns, such a buffer would zone out sex offenders entirely. Mays’ proposed crackdown on offenders who fail to register their addresses with authorities seems warranted, though locking them up won’t come free. Is this measure a “top priority for the Legislature this session,” as Mays said Friday? Or is it just a top priority for Mays’ gubernatorial campaign?
Posted by Rhonda Holman