henricocitizen.com: Tougher Sex-Offender Bills Die in Committee.
Four bills that would have brought tighter restrictions on registered sex offenders died in a House committee this week.
The bills would have prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 500 feet of a child daycare center or school, from entering onto the property of a daycare center at any time and from being within 100 feet of a children’s museum. A fourth bill would have retroactively included offenders convicted before July 1, 2000, in legislation that bans loitering near schools.
Local legislators said that the bills failed because they would have had fiscal impact in a year that allows no room for extra spending.
Some convicted sex offenders may not be dangerous predators. Del. Chris Peace, R-Mechanicsville,said "The truth is, there are sex offenders living in communities all across Virginia,” “and they’re doing so peacefully and they’re abiding by the laws.”
