 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
Governors To Strengthen Sex Offender Laws
by Chloe Albanesius
North Dakota's governor last week signed a package of bills aimed at strengthening state laws regarding sex offenders.
"Safe streets and safe neighborhoods are central to North Dakota's outstanding quality of life, yet we can always make our commitment to public safety stronger," Gov. John Hoeven said in a statement.
One of the measures, H.B. 1057, will require the electronic monitoring of offenders being treated on an outpatient basis. Another bill, H.B 1061, will require offenders who have not been ordered to submit a blood sample to provide blood or another bodily fluid for inclusion in the state's DNA database.
The final two pieces of legislation, H.B. 1313 and H.B. 1289, signed by the Republican governor, will increase penalties and make evidence from offender hearings more readily available to the public, respectively.
The first three measures are the work of the state's Task Force on Violent and Sexual Offenders, a group established in January 2004. Its members "were able to close a gap between prison and inpatient civil commitment that will make our citizens safer," Hoeven said.
In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius Monday signed legislation that toughens the penalty for inappropriate solicitation of a minor. Under S.B. 147, solicitation of a child would now warrant jail time rather than probation. The bill also clarifies the definition of child pornography so offenders can be prosecuted for each piece of child porn, not just for the way it was stored.
"We have an absolute duty to protect our children, and that means putting child predators and child pornographers behind bars," Sebelius said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Albany Democrat-Herald reports that Oregon state Rep. Andy Olson is examining how best to inform the public about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods after residents in his district complained that those living in nearby Benton County had access to an Internet database of offenders, but Linn County residents did not.
As a former Oregon State Police officer, Olson acknowledged the difficulties in mandating notification, but said he is "not comfortable with the way things are now."
Kansas Adopts NIMS As Responder Standard
First responders to emergencies in Kansas will be using the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as its standard, according to an executive order signed Tuesday by Sebelius.
NIMS, which was developed by the Homeland Security Department, is a system for sharing emergency data communications across jurisdictions.
"Protecting the health and safety of all Kansans is one of my top priorities," Sebelius said in a statement. "This order will ensure that all first responders will be able to coordinate their efforts when responding to emergency situations."
In other news, Connecticut residents will be able to receive electronic highway traffic and rail incident reports via e-mail under a new program from the state's Transportation Department, GOP Gov. Jodi Rell announced Wednesday. The alerts will be generated from the agency's operations centers in Newington and Bridgeport, which routinely monitor 240 highway cameras throughout the state.
Governors Approve Tech-Related Measures
The nation's governors this week also advanced several tech-related measures.
Back in Kansas, Sebelius on Monday signed a bill, H.B. 2053, that eliminates the May 15, 2005 sunset date for the state's animal identification tracking program. Participation in the initiative is now voluntary, and the state's livestock commissioner must provide a progress report to lawmakers during the 2006 session.
In Washington, Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday signed a measure, H.B. 1138, allowing automated teller machines to charge fees on foreign ATM cards.
The Democratic governor also is expected to sign legislation, H.B. 1185, that would ban mobile phone companies from publishing customer numbers without their consent. Violations could cost providers up to $50,000 per incident. The state House unanimously approved the bill on Monday.
In Arizona, Gov. Janet Napolitano Tuesday signed S.B. 1342, requiring a paper trail for electronic voting machines. In a note to the Senate, the Democratic governor urged lawmakers to go even further to make paper ballots "the official record of the vote in a challenged election."
In other news, the California state Senate's Business and Professions Committee on Tuesday approved a bill, S.B. 833, that would adopt strict federal guidelines regarding the sending of unsolicited faxes.
Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, on Wednesday proposed legislation that would require companies to notify consumers if their personal information is compromised -- a measure similar to a law that went into effect in California in July 2003.
Wyoming Conference To Address State Telecom Needs
Wyoming lawmakers and telecommunications industry insiders will gather next week in Laramie for a two-day conference on the state's telecom future.
The event will "look to the future and examine what policy and statutory initiatives might be best suited for Wyoming," Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, said in a statement.
In 1995, the Wyoming legislature revamped its telecom laws, mandating competition in the sector. The explosion of the Internet, as well as the introduction of a variety of new communications services, however, merits discussion about how to go forward, according to conference organizers.
"We need to continue the progress made in making our communications infrastructure the equal of the best in the world," said Republican state Sen. Cale Case.
Topics to be addressed at the conference, which is set to take place Tuesday and Wednesday, include federal telecom legislation, emerging technologies, state telecom infrastructure, the state's universal service fund, and customer needs.
In other news, AP reports that a Cheyenne-based online school has not secured an education license -- eight months after a state law ordered it to do so. Hamilton University has yet to even inquire about licenses, according to the Wyoming Department of Education. After initially claiming he had no knowledge of Hamilton's Web site, the school's lawyer later said Hamilton would take down the site.
University of California Maintains Control Of Laboratory
The University of California will maintain control of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the U.S. Energy Department announced Tuesday. The five-year contract, estimated to be worth about $2.3 billion, continues the university's 60-year history with the laboratory.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement that the award is a "great victory" for residents and will ensure the "most talented and insightful scientists" come to the state. The Republican governor warned, however, that the state must work to ensure that the university also continues to operate both the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
He pledged to "make every effort to keep those laboratories under the management of the University of California and its partners." University President Robert Dynes said in a statement that he is pleased the school will have the opportunity to address nanoscience, homeland security and advanced computing.
Alaska Unveils Draft Version Of Abortion Web Site
Alaskan officials have posted a draft version of a Web site that provides residents with information about abortions and family planning.
The site is the result of legislation passed by lawmakers last year that requires doctors to inform women about the risks of and alternatives to abortion. At this point, the site allows a user to click through information about fetal development, pregnancy and childbirth, adoption, abortion methods, and family planning.
People have until April 25 to submit comments about the site. AP reports that while the information received a preliminary thumbs up from Planned Parenthood of Alaska, Alaska Right to Life said it found some of the information to be inaccurate and misleading.
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
