More on the Sex Offender State Hearing Thursday

Suburban leaders rally against bill on sex offenders

Suburban Milwaukee leaders are mobilizing against a bill that would outlaw local ordinances that restrict where sex offenders can live.

A hearing on Assembly Bill 759 is set for Thursday before the state Assembly Committee on Corrections and the Courts.

Franklin Ald. Steve Olson said Tuesday that elected officials from Franklin, Greenfield, Cudahy and possibly other suburbs plan to attend the hearing.

Olson said he thinks the bill would result in Milwaukee sex offenders being released from prison and allowed to live in the suburbs.

"It's an effort by some Milwaukee legislators to again pass something quickly, when nobody sees it, and put their problems on to other communities," Olson said.

"Why should we accept Milwaukee's, why should Milwaukee accept Franklin's (sex offenders)?" he said.  "It's a matter of simple logic and fairness - take your own back."

Franklin is among municipalities that restrict sex offenders from living in certain areas, such as a prescribed distance from schools.

Now I know Cudahy Alderperson Joseph Mikolajczak is going to Madison to fight for Cudahy’s rights on the Sexual Predator Ordinance he authored and helped pass to voice his support to defeat this bill and keep Cudahy safe. 

Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue will be in Madison as well, but not to fight for Cudahy’s safety in getting this bill defeated, but to support the RTA.  Remember the unelected taxing body. 

You have to ask yourself where are the Mayor’s priorities.

Just shows us what type of leader Mayor McCue is!  Tax and spend, not safety!

Additional info on this subject from emails:

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From: Steve Olson

Sent: 3/3/2010 10:00:57 P.M. Central Standard Time

Subj: Now the ASSEMBLY has the bill to preempt our ordinances and there's a hearing

All:

Time to make noise.  Most of you have Democrats as your state Rep’s.  Make their phone ring.  They’re moving to take away HOME RULE and our ability to protect our citizens.

The assembly is holding a hearing on the identical bill to the senate’s version next Thursday, the 11th at 10:00am.  Franklin will be sending a group in opposition.  We need the Democrats to understand that they’re messing with a hornets nest.

Talking points:

These ordinances would NOT be an issue if every community was responsible to take back their own sex offenders (most if not all of you have that clause in your ordinance.)

This is an effort by the Milwaukee legislators to dump their offenders on the suburbs.  We won’t stand for it.

Those of us who have the clause that we WILL take our own sex offenders back know that these ordinances work.

This is a frontal attack on HOME RULE and our ability to govern our local communities.

We may be able to organize car pools if you’re interested (please) in getting to the hearing.

Have your constituents call their friends in other communities and have them call their legislators and tell them to vote no.

Call or e-mail me for more information.

Thanks.

This is important!

Steve Olson

Alderman, 1st District

8091 S. Meadowcreek Ct.

Franklin, Wisconsin  53132

414-425-9060

solson@franklinwi.gov

www.steveolson.us

www.franklinwi.gov

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Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 8:49 AM

Subject: Proposed Legislation to Prohibit and Eliminate Sex Offender Residency Ordinances

Dear Chiefs,

     If you are not aware, there are 2 bills being considered by legislative committees which include language which prohibits a community from enacting a city ordinance which places residency restrictions on registered sex offenders.  It also makes any existing ordinances no longer enforceable. 

    The City of Franklin was one of the first communities in the state to enact an ordinance restricting where registered sex offenders can reside.  I know that many of your communities adopted similar ordinances.  All that work will be for naught if this legislation gets passed.  The 2 bills are attached: SB548 and AB 759.  There will be a public meeting on AB759 this Thursday, March 11, 2010 in the State Capitol Room 415 Northwest at 10:15AM.  I will be attending along with representatives from our city.    We've been told that if the bills get out of committee, it has a good chance of being passed. 

     I encourage those of you who have residency ordinances and those of you whose communities are planning to enact them take immediate steps to let your elected representatives know your community opposes this legislation.  Our community's representatives, who oppose these bills, state that all state legislators must hear from their constituents if this bill is to be defeated.  Of immediate concern is letting those legislators on the Senate and Assembly committees know of the opposition.  Their names are listed on attached documents.  Thanks for your support on this.

Richard P. Oliva

Chief of Police

City of Franklin

9455 W. Loomis Rd.

Franklin,  WI  53132

(414) 425-2522

roliva@franklinwi.gov

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From: Jesse Wesolowski

Sent: Mon 3/8/2010 11:38 PM

Subject: Your Municipality's Ordinance; Public Hearing on Thursday

We understand that the municipality you serve as municipal attorney has adopted a sex offender residency restriction and/or child safety zone ordinance.  2009 Senate Bill 548, introduced on February 18, 2009, and 2009 Assembly Bill 759, introduced on February 19, 2009, currently contain identical language and preempt local municipal authority to adopt or enforce any ordinance or resolution which affects the residency or placement of and the areas which may be entered or exited by a sex offender.  Attached are a City of Franklin Common Council Resolution opposing this proposed legislation and a letter from Mayor Thomas M. Taylor to the Citizens of Franklin.  The Senate and Assembly Bills are reproduced below.  We will leave the review and consideration of the terms of regulation in the proposed bills in lieu of local government regulation to you; other than to note that at local meetings over the past few days mention has been made of the nationally reported deaths of 17 year old Chelsea King and 14 year old Amber Dubois in Escondido, California, and the investigation results which followed in the last week, with the comments being that a 17 year old is not protected (proposed legislation: "areas where persons under 16 years of age congregate") and a child walking to school from more than 250 feet away is not protected (proposed legislation: "areas where children congregate, with perimeters of 100 to 250 feet"; Amber Dubois walked a mile to and fro every day and was last seen about 600 to 900 feet from the school).

There is a public hearing upon AB 759 set for this Thursday, March 11, 2010, at 10:15 a.m., before the Committee on Corrections and the Courts, in Room 415 Northwest, in the State Capitol.

This communication is sent to you pursuant to the direction of the Franklin Common Council at its special meeting on March 6, 2010.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.