Washington lawmakers seek special session
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Standing alongside a relative of a 12-year-old Pierce County girl who was abducted and slain earlier this month, Republican state representatives Monday called for a special legislative session this fall to tighten restrictions on sex offenders.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot wait for another child to be killed,” said Anatoly Kalchik, a real estate broker related to Zina Linnik.
The girl was seized from behind her family’s home during a Tacoma fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Four days later, police arrested Terapon Dang Adhahn, a convicted sex offender who led police to the girl’s body. The 42-year-old Adhahn has also been charged with raping two other victims and is a “person of interest” in a 10-year-old girl’s 2005 abduction and slaying.
“We just had an unbelievably tragic reminder that the problems have not been resolved,” said state Rep. Skip Priest, R-Federal Way, who is a longtime friend of Kalchik’s. Priest and other GOP legislators want Gov. Chris Gregoire to call a special legislative session Sept. 27 and 28, since lawmakers will already be in Olympia for long-planned meetings. Otherwise, legislators won’t begin considering new laws until January.
In a written statement, Gregoire didn’t rule out a special session. But she said she wants to first hear from a task force reviewing Adhahn’s case.
“At that point, we can see if there is a need for a special session,” the governor said.
She noted that she’d signed into law 18 bills regarding sex offenders and public safety last year.
“If there is more to be done, we must continue to be thoughtful and turn to those with the necessary expertise: victim advocates, law enforcement and prosecutors,” Gregoire said.
House Speaker Frank Chopp, of Seattle, also pointed to those 2006 reforms, adding that this latest case “horrified and outraged us all.”
Priest said a letter to Gregoire was scheduled to go out late Monday.
“We remain committed to working to ensure our children are as safe as possible,” said Chopp, who heads up the House’s strong Democratic majority. “As always, we welcome any constructive ideas from our colleagues across the aisle.”
The House Republicans say that the special session would cost taxpayers little, since lawmakers will already be in Olympia.
And by acting in September, they say, any new laws they pass will take effect months earlier.
What sorts of new laws? Here are a few ideas lawmakers and advocates floated Monday:
“Encouraging the hundreds of released sex offenders who have not registered with authorities to come forward with a “grace period.”
“For those who still won’t, toughen penalties for failure to register so that they’re more likely to serve time in prison.
“Rep. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, suggested more searches of sex offenders when law enforcement officials “feel something is wrong.”
“Pearson is also calling for tracking all level 3 sex offenders with global positioning system monitors that, unless illegally removed, can show where the person is at all times.
“More public notification for level 1 sex offenders, considered the least likely to reoffend.
Law enforcement officials now tend to focus their public notices – fliers handed out to neighbors, town hall meetings, news releases – on level 3 offenders.
“Pearson thinks lawmakers should also consider a law requiring sex offenders to register their Internet identities – such as chatroom nicknames and e-mail addresses – with law enforcement.
To spur additional ideas, lawmakers scheduled a town hall meeting at Federal Way’s city hall Monday night.
Jim Hines, a Gig Harbor children’s advocate, said that the stranger-abduction case has galvanized residents into calling for more restrictions.
“Families are petrified of letting children out of their sight because of what happened to Zina Linnik,” he said.