Another veto in Baldacci’s pocket

Gov. John Baldacci announced his plans to pocket veto another bill Wednesday, this one reducing the number of sex offenders that have to register with the state.

L.D. 446 narrowed the criteria for those who have to register as a sex offender with the state, applicable to those convicted between 1982 and 1992.

Baldacci’s statement:

“The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee spent a year trying to improve the Maine Sex Offender Registry. They have worked thoughtfully and diligently in their efforts to better define who should be required to register as a sex offender.

“I cannot, however, support this legislation. It would remove from the Sex Offender Registry perhaps as many as 580 people who have been convicted of a sex crime. While the Committee applied safeguards to make sure repeat offenders will remain on the list, we do not know which individuals will be removed from the registry and what level of risk they present.

“I believe that the Maine Sex Offender Registry can be improved, and I look forward to working with the Legislature to find a screening process that will better evaluate the risks posed by individuals before they are removed from the registry.

“By Joint Order, this summer the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will convene to study issues related to the sex offender registration laws, including better ways to classify offenders based on risk. It would be premature to change the current law with this important review about to commence.

“I have no doubt that there are people on the registry who shouldn’t be required to register because they no longer pose a risk to public safety. But until we have a better system to judge who those people are, we should continue with our current law. When it comes to sex offenders on the registry, we should err on the side of caution.”