Legislative Updates on Sex Offense Bills in Florida
Weekly Update 2018-02-27
Dear Members and Advocates,
It wasn’t for the best of reasons, but we got a reprieve from the consideration of Lauren Book’s horrible Senate Bill 1226 that would reduce the number of days a permanent or temporary residence requires registration (from 5 days to 3 days). The Bill was scheduled to be taken up before the Senate Rules Committee yesterday, but it was not considered because of a sit-in protest over gun-control legislation and the Senators’ consideration of three proposals that were rolled out in response to the High School shooting that took place a couple weeks ago. Twenty-five bills, including SB 1226, were on the agenda yesterday but none were able to be heard because the entire focus on the meeting dealt with gun laws. It is still possible that it will either be re-scheduled, or the concerning language will be tacked onto another bill that’s already farther along. We will monitor and advise.
For those reading our site, you’ll see another controversial Bill regulating vacation rentals. The bill is interesting for many reasons. First, it places the responsibility of public notification (all property owners within 1000 feet, 24 hours before a registrant stays at their vacation rental) on private citizens where it was previously vested in Sheriffs. Second, it imposes a burden on the registrant that is practically impossible to comply with (registering in the county 48 hours before arrival) – thereby effectively banning registrants from vacation rentals. Sometimes you have to wonder whether legislators make a game of envisioning the most ridiculous requirements to impose on registrants, throw it against a wall and see if it sticks. With two weeks left in the 2018 legislative session, it remains to be seen what will be snuck in and what will die on the vine.
FAC has sent letters to legislators concerning these bills (as well as many others impacting our population). We always recommend you do too. While you will likely not get a reply from any of the legislators (beyond their “canned” response), sending these letters is still important for many reasons. They do get read by the legislative aides and even if a politician won’t take a public stance against a “sex offender” bill – there are many “behind the scenes” ways for these bills to die if they realize how problematic they are. Additionally, if we ever need to bring suit to challenge a law, a public records request asking for the production of letters expressing the public’s opinion on these issues can be very revealing.
As tragic an event that the Parkland mass-shooting was, it gave the public insight into the inner workings of politics in our State and across the United States. There is something wrong when our sheriffs and judges are politicians! People are beginning to realize why and hopefully the recent tragedy will open the public’s eyes to the corruption in public office and the inappropriate influence lobbyists have over legislators. Having had a unique perspective, this is something we’ve seen for years, but now that it has impacted this next generation (albeit in a different context) hopefully things will change and Florida’s practice of cronyism and pandering to financial backers will be curtailed somewhat.
Something else our members need to be mindful of are the opportunists using the sex offender registry as a marketing list. This is something we’ve warned about in the past and something that our members have become wise to. Still, receiving a letter in the mail from a law firm (or a business that seems confusingly like a law firm) suggesting they can help get you off the registry is tempting. As a member of FAC, receiving our emails and reading our website, if there was a way to “de-register” or get “early removal” from the sex offender registry – believe me – you’d have heard all about it already! Be very weary of these solicitations and remember that we already have several actions pending. Do your research!
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
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TOPIC: How a Bill becomes law and why EVERYONE needs to respond to a Call-to-Action
There are 2 weeks left of the legislative session – we can’t rest yet – we need your help!
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
New lawsuit may provide access to social media.
Although the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that States cannot restrict a registered sex offender’s access to social media (Packingham v. North Carolina, 582 U.S. ___ (2017)), nothing has stopped social media companies, such as Facebook or Twitter, from…
Florida bill would effectively ban sex offenders from vacation rentals.
A new bill concerning vacation rentals, HB 773, sponsored by Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud, is making it’s way through the Florida House of Representatives….
Jury gives death sentence to Donald Smith
Let’s set aside personal beliefs about the death penalty for any crime and focus solely on the conviction and punishment of Donald Smith. I am so pleased that Donald Smith is being punished for the horrible, sick things he did to Cherish Perrywinkle! I’m also so happy…
Florida House refuses to debate guns, declares porn dangerous
The Florida House of Representatives was in session on Tuesday considering several issues. These included a motion to debate a bill banning the sale of assault weapons in the aftermath of the mass shooting that killed 17 people last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas…