For two years in Minnesota the legislature has failed to make child sex offender law more tough. It's shocking and unbelievable this could be true when from Washington County alone we have 18 articles on 18 child rapists walking with little more than probation in most cases for 2018.
Also: Watchdog Review of Each of the Fifty States Sex Offender Laws Finds Minnesota Ranked the Most Unsafe
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| Articles in 2017 and 2018. Enough is enough |
The single legislator who's stood against the status quo to write bills is Representative Matt Grossell. He's wrote many bills to improve sex offender law. In 2015 here's some of the bipartisan bills he wrote that passed:
-To make the punishment for child rape the same no matter the age of the child (previous law had softer punishment the older the child)
-Adding "or agreeing to hire minor to engage in prostitution" to MN 609.324 so that not only those who actually hire a real minor are punished... but also those who attempt to hire one in a police sting or otherwise.
-DOUBLING the punishment for Child trafficking from max of 10 years/$20,000 to a max of 20 year/$40,000 (but sentencing guidelines leave this change without effect)
-Made "agreeing to hire minor to engage in prostitution MN 609.3241a" have to register as a sex offender if convicted. Added it to 243.166
We came up with a letter to legislators asking them to respond if they will get behind Representative Matt Grossell this next session that begins January 8th, 2019. We asked them to respond with their ability to co author the bills with Grossell. When legislators "co author" bills it builds momentum showing the public and the other law makers who the legislators are putting their name in writing to support a bill. So far, 30 legislators have responded with interest... or more common, full support to co author the bills. Members from both parties in the house and senate have responded in support. For reference many of Grossell's bills only had 3 or 4 co authors last year. This isn't for lack of support, rather it's just lack of knowledge. See the bottom of this article for the example letter we sent and above that the 30 representatives and counting who have responded.
We need your help to get more legislators on board so please write and call those you do not see on the list to ask them to join Grossell's bills.
For 2019 Representative Grossell is going to bring back all his sex offender bills that didn't pass last year or the year before. Plus there could be new bills to deal with things like weak sentencing guidelines and getting probation to be more than the max of ten years for sex offenders.
To see Matt's bill's Go to his MN rep page on the state website:
https://www.house.leg.state.
https://www.house.leg.state.
Then click on bills chief authored and find the sex offender bills like:
HF2944 Sex offenders required to serve 50-year conditional release or probation terms, and intensive probation for sex offenders established.
HF2944 Sex offenders required to serve 50-year conditional release or probation terms, and intensive probation for sex offenders established.
HF2943 Reunification of parents and children after the parent sexually abuses a child restricted.
HF1572 Does away with "stay of adjudication" for child sex offenders (crime is off the record if completed probation)
HF2905 Criminal sexual conduct prosecution team established in the Office of the Attorney General.
HF2905 Criminal sexual conduct prosecution team established in the Office of the Attorney General.
HF2904 Child pornography offenses penalties increased
Hopefully the challenges that have stopped the laws from passing the last two years will see the case evidence that is undeniably showing the law and sentencing guidelines need to be stiffened:
http://wcwatchdog.com/local-
(many responses are just part of their reply as to shorten the length. Most of them are intact as just short one sentence responses)
Rep.Brian.Daniels@house.mn (R) "I think I am Co-author on several of his bills. I may have missed one or two but I am his biggest fan. I call Matt my brother from another mother."
Rep.Raymond.Dehn@house.mn: (D) "I’m happy to have a conversation with Rep Grossell about the bills and happy to be in the dialogue regarding how we can better protect children. Please sign me on to a list to continue getting information."
rep.bob.dettmer@house.mn - (R) " I have co-authored the following bills authored by Rep Grossell: HF2944, HF2943, HF2906, HF2905, HF2904, and HF1572. I will continue to support common sense child sex offender reform bills as we enter the 2019 Legislative Session!"
Rep.Rob.Ecklund@house.mn - (D) "Have Matt Grossell talk to me"
rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn - (R) "yes, I will help Rep. Grossell."
rep.mary.franson@house.mn - (R) "Would love to help you"
Rep.Steve.Green@house.mn - (R) "I did lobby for votes on Matt's sex offender bills. If he needs me to sign on to get hearings this year, I will. His bills are common sense legislation."
Rep.Barb.Haley@house.mn (R) "I supported Rep Grossell’s bills last session and look forward to being an advocate on these important issues again. "
Rep.Josh.Heintzeman@house.mn - (R) "I will help him"
Rep.Jerry.Hertaus@house.mn (R) "I will talk with Matt about this subject matter."
Rep.Brian.Johnson@house.mn (R) "I have already been working with him on that issue. Working on getting something to stiffen penalties that we hope we can pass"
Sen.Mary.Kiffmeyer@senate.mn - (R) "Glad to look at them."
sen.mark.koran@senate.mn (R)- "I'm interested in sitting down to discuss your proposed legislation. Let's set up a time."
Rep.Sandy.Layman@house.mn (R) "Thank you for advocating on behalf of the victims of sexual crimes. I will speak with Representative Grossell about his strategy for this session."
Rep.Eric.Lucero@house.mn (R) "Thank you for reaching out. I currently sit on the Public Safety Committee with Rep. Grossell. Can you please send me the bill numbers of Rep Grossell's from this past session?"
Rep.Dale.Lueck@house.mn (R) "I look forward to 2019 and working with Rep. Matt Grossell this any many issues that need attention."
Rep.Joe.McDonald@house.mn - (R) "Thank you for your message. I will co author Rep Grossell’s bills. Keep up the great work!"
Rep.Tim.Miller@house.mn (R) "Yes, I support Grossell’s bills. Thanks Matt."
rep.mary.murphy@house.mn (R) "I will be glad to visit with him when the new session starts and he has his 2019 bills jacketed."
Rep.Jim.Nash@house.mn (R) "I’ll talk to him when we get together soon. I remember his Bills well and liked them."
rep.bud.nornes@house.mn (R) "I will help."
Rep.John.Petersburg@house.mn (R) "I am assuming he will reintroduce the bills? I will talk to him when he does and take a look at them."
Rep.John.Poston@house.mn - (R) "I will always support Matts good work.I will happily co-author legislation with Matt."
sen.jerry.relph@senate.mn (R) "I would be interested in looking at the bills."
Rep.Duane.Sauke@house.mn - (D) He'll be looking out for Matt's bills now
Rep.Mike.Sundin@house.mn - (D) "Please stop by for a visit in January. I’m very interested in signing on!"
Rep.Tama.Theis@house.mn (R) " I am certainly interested in hearing about the bill(s)."
rep.dean.urdahl@house.mn (R) "I support Rep. Grossell''s child sex offender bills."
Rep.Nick.Zerwas@house.mn (R) -"I’ve worked with Rep. Grossel and his bill the last two years and I plan on doing the same this session."
---------- message ---------
Date: Sat, Nov 10, 2018
Subject: Can you help Grossell's child sex offender reform bills
Congrats on your win over your challenger
At Washington County Watchdog we're trying to help Representative Matt Grossell pass his bipartisan common sense child sex offender reform bills from last session this coming session. It's been two years since a single good change in sex offender law passed. Our volunteer run group Washington County Watchdog does not take any money. The volunteers and the parents of raped children in Washington County cover the local stories on charged and convicted child rapists and try to bring the evidence to the public and law makers like you to educate how specific law has failed in each real life example from just Washington County alone. So far we have EIGHTEEN posts and counting for just Washington County in 2018 alone see:
http://wcwatchdog.com/local-
We don't use painful details or bombard legislators with mass emails. All we ask is if you can consider co-signing some or all of representative Matt Grossell's bills on sex offender reform. If possible please respond with your commitment to help and we'd love to include you on occasional correspondence on the bills that need your co-sign. Even better would be authoring bills to address several big problems in current law and sentencing guidelines.
We write positive articles about the legislators that help and in the last two years we've had over 1.2 million readers to our sex offender articles. We have thousands of subscribers to our emails and our facebook posts related to just this topic alone that needs to be reformed.
Please familiarize yourself on our in depth review of every state's sex offender laws and documentation with direct links to their law as proof. Our findings:
Watchdog Review of Each of the Fifty States Sex Offender Laws Finds Minnesota Ranked the Most Unsafe
By the start of next session we hope to have a solid list of legislators who've responded with support of Matt Grossell's sex offender bills as committed co-signers. We'll cover your support to your constituents and our readers and together we hope to pass his bipartisan sex offender reform bills into law.
By the start of next session we hope to have a solid list of legislators who've responded with support of Matt Grossell's sex offender bills as committed co-signers. We'll cover your support to your constituents and our readers and together we hope to pass his bipartisan sex offender reform bills into law.
We look forward to your response.
Thank you for your support in advance.
Thank you for your support in advance.
