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Jessica's Law Supporters Demand Action
 
Tuesday, Jun 12, 2007 - 06:44 PM Updated: 10:36 PM
 
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By Brian DeRoy
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RALEIGH, NC -- A proposal to toughen sex offender laws in North Carolina is moving slowly through the General Assembly, some say too slowly.
 
 "Jessica's Law" is named after nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford.
 
She was murdered by a convicted sex offender. Now her father is making a push to toughen laws everywhere.
 
Here is a breakdown of what House Bill 933 says:
 
* If approved, it would require a mandatory 25-year sentence for sex offenders.
* It would extend the sex offender registry from 10 to 30 years.
* The bill also would ban offenders from public places like parks and museums.
 
NBC 17's Brian DeRoy is digging deeper tonight to show us why the get tough bill seems to be having a tough time getting a hearing.
 
May 2nd, Mark Lundsford visits the General Assembly to demand the state get tough on sex offenders.
 
"The system has failed me and our children, not just in Florida but across the country," said Lundsford, during a May 2 press conference.
 
Despite his passionate plea, nothing has happened in the ensuing month and a half.
 
Jessica's law sponsor Tim Moore says he's had to fight to finally get the bill before a subcommittee later this week.
 
 "You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but there are those who believe this goes too far, that it punishes too much, i believe you can't punish these folks too much, sex offenders are a real danger," said Rep. Moore, a Cleveland county Republican.
 
So why would anyone oppose Jessica's law...getting tougher on sex offenders? Well, like everything else at the General Assembly, it all comes down to dollars and cents.
 
"That's what this process is all about, making decisions based on cost and the policy that you're trying to achieve," said Raleigh Rep. Dan Blue.
 
Raleigh Democrat Dan Blue heads the committee that was assigned Jessica's Law.
 
Jessica's Law supporters say Blue is dragging his feet, hoping the bill will go away. Rep Blue says it will get a fair hearing this Thursday.
 
Over at the Wake County Sheriff's office, the file cabinets are packed.
 
Wake County has more than 650 registered sex offenders, around half of whom are in prison.
 
Parents Tricia Bourgal and Tatiana Leahey's say getting tough on sex offenders is way more important than file space, or money.
 
"Absolutely we should have jessica's law passed in North Carolina, I don't see what the problem is, I don't see what the delay is, I think its long overdue," Bourgal said.
 
Tough penalties and tough decisions, more than 25 states already have some form of Jessica's Law.
 
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