Minnesota House of Representatives
Republican Caucus

ST. PAUL A series of bills comprising "Katie's Law," a broad-ranging legislative package designed to crack down on sex offenders, was approved by the Minnesota House Crime Prevention Committee this week, said Chairman Rich Stanek (R-Maple Grove).

The package incorporates pieces of the 2000 House Republican Crime Agenda, as well as recommendations from the Katie Poirier Abduction Task Force. It proposes a number of substantial changes to Minnesota laws to give police, prosecutors and judges tools they need to exchange information and keep Minnesotans safe.

Minnesota is home to about 10,000 convicted criminal sex offenders, said Stanek, a Minneapolis Police Captain who supervises the department's sex crimes investigations. "Only about 35 percent of this state's sex offenders comply with our registration requirements. In my experience as police officer, I can tell you that sex offenders have the greatest propensity to re- offend. In an area of criminal behavior so marked with repeat offenses, current laws aren't enough."

The committee's first step was to untie the hands of investigators by eliminating the statute of limitations in certain kidnaping, manslaughter, or criminal sexual conduct offenses. The bill also frees prosecutors to take advantage of scientific advances in the use of DNA and other types of physical evidence.

Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has been building a DNA database for several years, Stanek said. As sex offenders are forced to register, the number of samples matching evidence left at the scene of crimes will increase. This legislation also clarifies that prosecutors may charge cases when matches are occur, rather than being tied to the nine-year statute of limitations that applies to criminal sexual conduct charges.

Three pieces of the House Republican crime agenda are also included in the package. A measure sponsored by Rep. Barbara Haake (R-Mounds View) increases from a gross misdemeanor to a felony the penalty for a violation of the sex offender registration law. The crime will now be punishable by up to two years in prison for the first offense and five years for the second or subsequent offense.

Another provision by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) closes some legal loopholes used by felons to change their names and slip away from their criminal records. Offenders must first notify the prosecutor, victim and local law enforcement, then face a possible challenge on the basis of fraud, harassment or that it would compromise public safety. Also, inmate state-paid name changes are forbidden without religious need or change in marital status.

The third, by Rep. Doug Fuller (R-Bemidji), requires lifetime registration for repeat sex offenders who are considered sexually dangerous or commit murder.

"We should first target the worst of the worst offenders who repeat their crimes, are considered predatory, or kill during their sexual attack with lifetime ties to Minnesota's criminal justice network," Stanek added.

A measure offered by Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) takes registration requirements a step further. Subsequent violent offenses committed by a sex offender who had not been required to register before the 1991 law will now fall under its jurisdiction and be required to register.

In crafting "Katie's Law," the Crime Prevention Committee decided to go beyond registration requirements and expand on the community notification meetings conducted by the Department of Corrections (DOC). A provision sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) takes advantage of the capabilities of the Internet.

The DOC will create a website and post information about Level III sex offenders, providing Minnesota citizens with important information in an easily accessible format. Similarly, if an offender fails to comply with the registration requirements, the BCA may make public the details of the offender's criminal record. This type of public access will also lend flexibility to law enforcement in their efforts to track these offenders, Stanek said.

The Internet will work against sex offenders in other ways, too. The crime of sexual solicitation will be extended to in person, by telephone, letter, or electronic means, including luring a victim through Internet "chat-rooms."

Finally, Judiciary Finance Chair Sherry Broecker (R-Little Canada) provided an important piece to the sex offender package by granting law enforcement access to certain government information, including public housing and workers' compensation records.

"The common thread throughout the House Republican Crime Agenda is the reliance of law enforcement on information and information sharing," Stanek said. "Registration records, reports of violations and efforts to track felon name changes will surely stumble without reliable information."

Stanek added that the House Crime Prevention Committee will take up bills next week that build on a metro-area pilot project to create a statewide integrated criminal justice network.

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