By immediately removing hundreds of criminals from sexual offender notification websites, without regard to the seriousness of their offense, House Bill 301 would undermine public safety and weaken victims’ rights. This legislation would also deny local prosecutors and victims of these horrible crimes the opportunity to be heard before an offender is removed.Â
The leadership of the House may be ready to help violent sex offenders hide from the public and law enforcement, but their victims, and the millions of Missourians who use these websites to help keep their families safe, are not.
As legislators return for the annual veto session this September, I ask that they protect public safety and defend crime victims by sustaining my veto of House Bill 301. We owe it to the crime victims and their families to ensure this dangerous bill does not become law.
Gov. Jay Nixon
Jefferson City