California Beefs Up Its 'Meagan's Law'

The California Senate voted 35-1 this week to approve changes in its Megan's Law, which among other things will make information about the state's 85,000 convicted sex offenders available on the Internet.

The legislation would put on the Internet the names, photographs and specific crimes of all sex offenders required to register with law enforcement -- and include the home addresses of the most dangerous offenders, particularly those who have been convicted of sexually assaulting children.

The new bill has again raised questions about the privacy rights of offenders who have served their time and therefore "paid their debt to society." Opponents of the law believe a conviction alone should not be the criteria of inclusion on such lists, but some showing of proof that the individual is still a threat.

"We think that if you're going to do this there should be a finding that the individual continues to be a risk to the public and they have not done that in this bill," Francisco Lobaco, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Sacramento, told reporters. He said the law does not provide a way for any offenders -- even those convicted 20 or 30 years ago -- to be excluded from the list.

Those who supported the bill say it was a long-overdue effort to revamp California's Megan's Law. A newspaper investigation a year ago revealed that California's law was inconsistent and databases were difficult to use and many times outdated.

The nation's first Megan's Law was passed in New Jersey in 1996. It was named after Megan Kanka who was raped and killed by a twice-convicted sex offender who lived across the street from her. At the time, police could not make public information about convicted sex offenders.

The full state assembly must sign off on the new bill before it goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be signed.