Proposed Kansas law conflates sexual offenses with murder
Topeka, Kansas . . . A Bill introduced in Topeka would change the way juvenile sex offenders are treated by the state.
The bill would require juvenile offenders convicted of violent acts to register on the public registry.
Representative John Whitmer supports the bill. He says offenders who are convicted of lesser crimes would not be subject to the new law.
The push for the law came after a Newton mother and daughter were killed in their home last year.
Alyssa Runyon and Zaylynn Paz were murdered by Keith Hawkins who was convicted of aggravated indecent liberties with a child when he was only 12-years-old.
“I think this serves the public interest by at least making that information available readily available to the public so that you can make informed decisions on who you invite into your home, I mean you’ve got to make sure that people who have this kind of history at least that information is available to the public,” says Whitmer.
The bill will go through another hearing next week.
