Expanded
sex offense list
wins support

Lingle is expected to sign
although no funding is provided

A proposal that would increase the number of convicted sex offenders listed on the state's online "Megan's Law" registry has the support of the Lingle administration, even though lawmakers declined to provide $115,000 to help cover the costs of implementing the legislation.

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Attorney General Mark Bennett called the legislation a priority for his office.

"Obviously we would've preferred to have the money, but we will find the resources somewhere," Bennett said. "The lack of the money will not impact in any way our ability to implement the bill."

The legislation approved yesterday by a joint House-Senate panel comes after voters approved a constitutional amendment last year allowing the Legislature to determine which convicted offenders can be listed on the Internet registry without a public hearing.

Previously, the state Supreme Court had ruled that all sex offenders must be given a hearing to present their case as to why they should not be listed in the online registry. To date, 74 of an estimated 2,000 registered sex offenders are listed in the online database (pahoehoe.ehawaii.gov/sexoff).

Under Senate Bill 708, Conference Draft 1, sex offenders convicted of Class A and B felonies would be listed on the registry immediately. Information on Class C felony offenders would be available at police stations and the attorney general's Criminal Justice Data Center.

After a specified period of time, offenders would be given the chance to petition a court to prove they are no longer a risk to society and should have their names removed from the online registry.

"This bill is pretty monumental," said House Judiciary Chairwoman Sylvia Luke (D, Pacific Heights-Punchbowl).

Bennett said the number of sex offenders listed online would rise "exponentially" once the bill takes effect. He did not have an exact figure.

The proposal is expected to win approval by the House and Senate next week and then be sent to Lingle.

Opponents of the bill include the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, which says more treatment programs for sex offenders are needed.

The ACLU submitted testimony to lawmakers citing studies in Washington and Iowa that showed notification laws had little impact on preventing sex offenders from committing new crimes.

"Notification laws have a devastating impact on the registrants who are subject to its provisions," ACLU-Hawaii attorney Lois Perrin said in a statement. "For a registrant subject to notification, any hope of redemption, or at least the possibility of leading a somewhat normal life, is illusory."