Suburbs' Sex Offender Ordinances In Jeopardy
FRANKLIN - A proposal by several state lawmakers would make several communities' ordinances restricting where sex offenders can live illegal.
The bill is sponsored by a coalition of rural Republican lawmakers and Milwaukee Democrats. They worry some city and village ordinances are so strict, they essentially prohibit sex offenders from living there at all. The lawmakers fear those offenders will be pushed onto other communities.
Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) is one of the sponsors. "Let's just end up having a statewide ban and have the state set rules that are reasonable," he argued. The bill would keep sex offenders away from schools and require GPS monitoring.
Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor vows to fight the bill. His city passed one of the first and toughest restrictions on sex offender residency. Since that time, many Milwaukee suburbs have followed suit.
"If we have an ordinance that's working, that's working in West Allis and Wauwatosa and other parts of the state, why does the state or a few legislators need to interfere with that?," he said.
Taylor says he and other suburban mayors will go to Madison to fight against the bill.
A public hearing is scheduled at the Capitol on Thursday.
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