Governor's group to study sex-offense issues
Panel hopes to keep on top of sentencing, registry, DNA testing
Member Michele Christiansen, executive director of the state's Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, said she envisions the group discussing issues such as minimum mandatory sentences, the sex offender registry and a proposal by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, to require DNA testing for child sex offenders.
"We just want to make sure that we're on top of everything, that this state has the best laws and the best systems in place," said Christiansen, who has coordinated the formation of the panel with Huntsman. "We want to be ahead of the game and not playing catch-up in any way."
The group has met twice since it was formed about six weeks ago, Christiansen said. It is made up of about 20 people and includes lawmakers and representatives from agencies involved in the criminal justice system, such as the Utah Department of Corrections, state Department of Human Services, the FBI and Adult Probation and Parole.
The group will make recommendations for legislation to be considered by the 2006 Legislature.
"We have pretty good laws in place. We have very strict laws, especially when it comes to child sex offenses," Christiansen said. However, she said, there are "maybe other offenses we might want to look at more carefully."
The groups have raised the ire of some lawmakers. Earlier this month, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, questioned the process by which Huntsman appointed participants to the panels and raised concerns about the apparent exclusion of legislators. One of the tasks of his newly hired chief of staff, Curtis said, would be to keep tabs on the working groups.
The governor originally referred to the study panels as "task forces," but that was changed after legislative leaders pointed out that both history and state code consider a task force to be an agent of the Legislature only, with its own budget and incorporated into law for a specified purpose and for a specified time.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com
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