Friday, January 13, 2006

McKenna Proposes Bills

[LEGISLATION] Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna is working with legislators to push several bills. His press release highlights seven bills in a sex offender package, which would:

Increase penalties for sexually motivated crimes, possession of child pornography, and second degree assault of a child with sexual motivation.
Strengthen the sex offender registration statute.
Continue to restrict sex offenders from living within 880 feet of a public or private school statewide.
Extend the statute of limitations in DNA cases.
Require sex offenders to admit guilt before becoming eligible for special sentencing alternatives.

Another bill addresses a number of aspects of methamphetamine -- clean up of sites, treatment of addicts, and criminal penalties.
McKenna has also worked with legislative leaders from both parties to introduce a reporter shield bill (HB 2452/SB 6216) to protect confidential sources from being revealed and to protect the rights of the media to report on sensitive stories.
One last bill (SB 6215) would limit government liability.

See the press release for links to the bills and one-page legislative background papers.

The WSBA Board of Governors was scheduled to hear McKenna talk about the reporter shield and government liability bills at its meeting yesterday.

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