Vote on Jessica's Law Possible For June 4

Senate bill S-380, which concerns sentencing of sex offenders and persons who harbor them, would require electronic monitoring for certain sex offenders and creates child protection zones, goes before a vote by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee on Monday, June 4, Galloway resident Anna Jezycki said at the council meeting on Tuesday night, May 8.

“I spoke with Sen. (Donald) Norcross last week and he told me it would come before a vote June 4,” Jezycki said. “There’s a couple of (bills) out there, but the one we’re standing behind is coming up for a vote.”

A representative from Sen. Norcross’ office confirmed that the bill is being considered.

Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered by a registered sex offender in 2005. Lunsford was from Florida, and many states have enacted “Jessica’s Law” since. New Jersey is one of the few remaining that have not.

There are currently three bills pending before the New Jersey Senate that would establish the Jessica Lunsford Act in the state.

Jezycki and her CUFFS committee was at the forefront of a strong push to get the Jessica Lunsford Act passed into law in the state. She led an effort to get letters mailed to all the state's municipalities urging them to support the act.

She was disappointed when, in 2009, the State Supreme Court invalidated a law that would allow municipalities to ban sex offenders from living within a designated distance of any school, park, playground, public library or daycare center.

Galloway Township previously had laws in place stating sex offenders can’t live within 2,500 feet of those types of areas, prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Since then, Jezycki has been trying to get a form of the Jessica Lunsford Act passed to no avail, and was getting frustrated.

Earlier this year, she confronted representatives from the Ninth Legislative District about the issue. Since then, Galloway Council has reissued the letters.

Norcross became the chair of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee earlier this year, and when the bill first came to his attention, it stuck out as something he was in favor of. His office credits the efforts of Galloway Councilman Dennis Kleiner, who put his office in touch with Jezycki.

Those involved are happy about the possibility of the vote, but they also know anything can happen between now and June 4.

“I signed 840 papers and sent them out to every legislator and every mayor,” Galloway Mayor Don Purdy said. “If it gets to the floor, I believe it will pass. It would be great to know Galloway and the CUFFS had influence.”

Purdy said if he knows the bill will be voted on, he will make the trip to Trenton.

“It means a lot to the committee, and it would be good for the township to be there,” Purdy said.