May 3, 2005
Governor Outlines Initiatives for Legislative Leaders
LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today called on state lawmakers to be resolute in their efforts to pass strong, meaningful legislation that will deny convicted sex offenders access to Michigan’s children no matter where they are.
In a letter to legislative leaders, the Governor outlined several child protection initiatives that would protect the state’s children from sex offenders.
“Michigan will not rest until we are doing everything we can to keep the ‘bad guys’ away from our children,” Granholm said. “We want to know that sex offenders are nowhere near our children; we want to engage citizens to be vigilant about protecting our kids; and we must put new penalties in place to show sex offenders we mean business.”
The Governor is asking state lawmakers to:
• establish “Predator Free Zones” – similar to existing drug-free zones – prohibiting convicted sex offenders from being within 1,000 feet of schools;
• create a “Protect Our Children Act” to require entities, such as schools and day care centers, to complete background checks on all employees and volunteers to make certain sex offenders are denied access to our children;
• as part of a “Protect Our Children Act,” prohibit anyone on the Sex Offender Registry from working or volunteering at locations such as child day care centers, schools, playgrounds, and youth leagues/organizations under the threat of a felony;
• allow evidence of prior child molestation and sexual assault to be admissible in court to prove the character of the defendant;
• enact a lifetime ban on teachers who are convicted sex offenders, keeping them out of the classroom and away from our children.
Granholm said that, in addition to asking state lawmakers to pass tough new child protection laws, she has directed Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jeremy Hughes to conduct an immediate and thorough review of all Department of Education (MDE) policies and procedures regarding criminal activities by school personnel. Dr. Hughes was also to immediately communicate with Michigan school districts the critical importance of reviewing the potential criminal records of every individual who works in a school facility or applies for a job in a school facility and to develop effective procedures for screening volunteers who come into contact with children in schools.
Granholm has also directed the Department of Education to begin implementing new procedures that will ensure better tracking of all school personnel and better communication between school districts and the state. The Governor said the changes in law outlined above would allow the MDE to take action against all non-teaching personnel who have a sex offense in their background.
The Governor offered her agenda to state lawmakers on the same day the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to consider legislation designed to prohibit a person convicted of a sex offense from serving as a coach on an independent youth athletic team unless the person disclosed to the team’s sanctioning organization that he or she has been convicted of a listed sex offense.
“The matter of our children’s safety cannot be compromised,” Granholm concluded in her letter. “I look forward to your diligence in sending to my desk tough, bi-partisan pieces of legislation that will ensure the safety of our children.”
