Date: 01/19/2012
Virginia Supporters,
We need you to contact your one Delegate and one Senator at the General Assembly building IMMEDIATELY and ask them to oppose this employment restriction bill.
- The recidivism rates for registered sex offenders are the LOWEST of ANY other crime, 3.5-7% nationally. Whereas the re-offense rate for drugs, robbery and murder ranges from 20 to 35%. But yet I have found NO bills proposed for this GA to limit employment options for anyone convicted of these other crimes in our State.
- The reality is…. Of ALL the NEW Sex Offenses that will occur in 2011, at least 97% will be by someone NOT listed on the Registry today! Perhaps this bill would be more appropriate if it stated…. NO MAN should be allowed to drive passenger-carrying vehicles as men are “usually” the ones who do commit sexual crimes. That exclusion would be JUST AS FAIR and appropriate as what is proposed by this Bill.
- ANY legislation that limits legitimate employment opportunities for 18,600+ of its citizens simply because they bear the label sex offender confirms that the sex offender registry has become punitive and is NOT purely administrative as maintained by the lawmakers in order to claim its Constitutionality.
- Bills like this …. Solidify the public’s false opinion that hatred and exclusion of a class of citizens is acceptable. The State of Virginia continues to impose harsher bills and restrictions every year, limiting our employment, limiting our housing opportunities and restricting our movement.
- The attempt and urgency to legislate those listed on the registry out of existence ……is wrong. To endlessly limit and oppress anyone living within our society is also wrong. Forced failure means there can be no success no matter how much you try. In essence … the never ending parade of bills against registered offenders ……is State endorsed torture.
- Once again target criminal activity and not a person who has already paid their debt to society and who is just trying to survive, support their family and live their life. Punishing entire groups based on unfounded fear should not be what leads our country, but lately that seems to be a resounding theme.
- One might argue that by allowing a sex offender to drive a charter bus that they have been given access to high school charters like a band trip, a school function or other. We counter this with whenever there is any school related function that involves a chartered bus there are chaperones present. Unless the supposition is that the chaperones would be complicit in any wrongdoing that might happen this is obviously a flawed argument.
- Lastly as the RSOL of VA pointed out during the public discussions at last year’s G.A. session when similar legislation was proposed by Delegates Carrico and May as well as Senator Obenshain. How is having a bus driver as a sex offender any different than having a passenger as a sex offender? They are both on the bus with other people present. Once we go down the road of total exclusion then where will it end. We cannot legislatively limit employment opportunity or the ability to travel simply because someone is listed as a sex offender. Companies have the option to hire or not hire whom ever they deem qualified. Just because a driver’s license is needed to drive a charter bus does not give the Commonwealth the right to discriminate against a specific portion of our population. No Legislator would even consider proposing a bill stating “anyone with a felony conviction is banned from driving a charter bus” so why would this be acceptable?
Please contact your Delegate and Senator and ask them to oppose this bill.
HB1178- Offenders required to register prohibited from operating charter buses
Sponsor/Patron – Del. Michael Webert (R-Marshall)
Brief Explanation/Summary:
Provides that no person required to register on the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry shall be permitted to operate a charter bus (commercial vehicle designed to carry 32 or more passengers).
Read Full Text or Track Status:
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=121&typ=bil&val=hb1178
Read Full Text, Track Status, Cast Your Vote or Read/Leave Public Comment:
http://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2012/hb1178/
