by Linda Gray
Special for the Republic
One of the highest priorities for me as a state lawmaker is to keep the people of my district and the state safe. Arizona has been a leader in tracking convicted sex offenders and has provided a simple-to-use public Web site so citizens can see where offenders released to the community are living.
In 2006, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act to protect children from sexual exploitation and violent crime, to prevent child abuse and child pornography and to promote Internet safety. The goals of the act are noble, but it is questionable whether the new requirements contained in it will make Arizonans safer. Also, the costs of putting in place all phases will be millions of dollars during a time of financial crisis in our state.
The federal government required states to comply with the act’s provisions by July 2009. To give you an idea of the struggle going on across the country, only one state has complied. Arizona is one of 49 states not in compliance and is making plans for a second extension, to comply by July 2011.
Linda Gray, a Republican, is an Arizona state senator representing District 10 in Phoenix
