UNDER THE DOME

Good morning. Today is Thursday, April 12, the 95th day of the 105-day legislative session.

IN BRIEF

A bill requiring better community notification when highest-risk sex offenders move into a neighborhood was approved unanimously by the Senate on Wednesday. It now goes to the House, and sponsoring Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, said he's hopeful for a hearing there.

The Feb. 24 rape and killing of a Shelton teen, allegedly by a sex offender, provoked the measure. However, Sheldon said it's not clear whether the provisions of the bill could have saved 15-year-old Jennie Osborn's life.

Senate Bill 6143 would require newspapers to have a policy for handling community notifications on sex offenders. It could require a sheriff's office to take out a display ad or legal notice, or it could publish a news article that notifies the community about level 3 offenders, those at highest risk of reoffending, Sheldon said.

An amendment would require sheriffs to keep a Web page listing level 3 offenders "updated monthly," Sheldon said. It also would require the sheriff twice a year to publish a newspaper ad or get an article run that updated all level 3 offenders in the community.

"I think we have a pretty good chance of getting it through the House," Sheldon said after the measure passed.

Today at the capital

Anti-poverty activists will land at the Capitol today, packing a few thousand postcards from citizens statewide in a bid to protect human-services funding.

The group will offer a news briefing at 10:30 a.m. in Cherberg Hearing Room A, then haul its cards to a representative of the Governor's Office in the Insurance Building, said Aiko Schaefer, director of the Statewide Poverty Action Network.

"We have one 2-foot by 4-foot (card) that goes to the governor," Schaefer said Wednesday.

Activists were generally pleased with a $22.8 billion Senate operating budget proposal, which had fewer cuts to human services than Gov. Gary Locke proposed in his budget in December.

However, the Senate did cap enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Activists expect the House budget proposal, which is due any day, to fall somewhere between the Senate and Locke plans.

Legislative hearings

Here are a few of the major committee hearings and work sessions in the Legislature today. All House committee meetings are in the John L. O'Brien building (JLOB). All Senate committee meetings are in the John A. Cherberg Building (JAC).

House

-Health care: work session on publicly funded health-care reform proposals, 8 a.m., House Hearing Room B.

-Floor session, 9 a.m.

-Floor session continued, 1:30 p.m.

Senate

-Floor session, 9 a.m.

-Floor session continued, 1:30 p.m.

The following are excerpts from today's schedule for TVW, the state's public-affairs network, found on Channel 23 locally.

-8 a.m.: House Health Care Committee work session on public-funded reforms of health care (live).

-9 a.m.: Senate and House floor action (live all day)

-7 p.m.: Inside Olympia, a conversation with Rep. Cathy McMorris, Republican co-chairwoman of the House State Government Committee.

Compiled by Brad Shannon

The Olympian Copyright 2001

back to main Legislature 2001 index