Alexis’ Law needs to move

Last year, Delegate Michael Smigiel of District 36 introduced HB60, dubbed “Alexis’ Law.” As Delegate Smigiel explains, the law is a pretty simple fix to a problem which occasionally erupts.

This is an easy bill that claifies that ANY judge can hear a motion for a protective order for the victims of sexual predators. The bill is named after a child who was sexually victimized by an adult and subsequently stalked by her victim (I presume the Delegate meant attacker) in violation of the protection order. The States Attorney interpreted the law that only the judge who issued the order could enforce the order. Alexis was so traumatized that the only escape she felt she had was to cut her wrists. Thankfully, she survived and is getting the help she needs. We need to make sure that no other children are victimized by such loopholes.

Just like Jessica’s Law a few years back, the biggest obstacle in the way is the punk who runs the House Judiciary Committee, Delegate Joe Vallario. He’s well-known for sticking common-sense legislation in his proverbial desk drawer and killing it.

But Jessica’s Law got passed because Marylanders put the pressure on Vallario to allow it to come to a vote, and thousands lobbied the remaining members of the committee to vote in its favor. This requires a similar effort, and the list of Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee follows (needless to say the Republicans are already on board.)

Chairman: JOSEPH F. VALLARIO, JR 410-841-3488
Democrat, District 27A, Calvert & Prince George’s Counties
Email: joseph.vallario@house.state.md.us

Co-Chairman: SAMUEL I. (SANDY) ROSENBERG 410-841-3297
Democrat,  District 41, Baltimore City
e-mail: samuel.rosenberg@house.state.md.us

CURTIS STOVALL (CURT) ANDERSON
Democrat, District 43, Baltimore City
(410) 841-3291, (301) 858-3291
e-mail: curt.anderson@house.state.md.us

BENJAMIN S. BARNES
Democrat, District 21, Anne Arundel & Prince George’s Counties
(410) 841-3046, (301) 858-3046
e-mail: ben.barnes@house.state.md.us

JILL P. CARTER
Democrat, District 41, Baltimore City
(410) 841-3782, (301) 858-3782
e-mail: jill.carter@house.state.md.us

FRANK M. CONAWAY, JR.
Democrat, District 40, Baltimore City
(410) 841-3189, (301) 858-3189
e-mail: frank.conaway@house.state.md.us

KATHLEEN M. DUMAIS
Democrat, District 15, Montgomery County
(410) 841-3052, (301) 858-3052
e-mail: kathleen.dumais@house.state.md.us

BENJAMIN F. KRAMER
Democrat, District 19, Montgomery County
(410) 841-3485, (301) 858-3485
e-mail: benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us

SUSAN C. LEE
Democrat, District 16, Montgomery County
(410) 841-3649, (301) 858-3649
e-mail: susan.lee@house.state.md.us

GERRON S. LEVI
Democrat, District 23A, Prince George’s County
(410) 841-3101, (301) 858-3101
e-mail: gerron.levi@house.state.md.us

VICTOR R. RAMIREZ
Democrat, District 47, Prince George’s County
(410) 841-3340, (301) 858-3340
e-mail: victor.ramirez@house.state.md.us

TODD L. SCHULER
Democrat, District 8, Baltimore County
(410) 841-3526, (301) 848-3526
e-mail: todd.schuler@house.state.md.us

LUIZ R. S. SIMMONS
Democrat, District 17, Montgomery County
(410) 841-3037, (301) 858-3037
e-mail: luiz.simmons@house.state.md.us

KRIS VALDERRAMA
Democrat, District 26, Prince George’s County
(410) 841-3210, (301) 858-3210
e-mail: kris.valderrama@house.state.md.us

JEFFREY D. WALDSTREICHER
Democrat, District 18, Montgomery County
(410) 841-3130, (301) 858-3130
e-mail: jeff.waldstreicher@house.state.md.us

Just as a reminder of how difficult some of these Delegates made it when Jessica’s Law went through the first time, this 2007 article from Red Maryland by Mark Newgent reminds us of the process.

There are 22 members on the House Judiciary Committee, of which 6 are Republicans. Oddly enough, Smigiel didn’t list Democrat Kevin Kelly of District 1B – I presume based on his past bipartisan voting record Smigiel doesn’t see him being a threat.

Of the 16 Democrats, seven of them were not involved in the 2006 Jessica’s Law controversy because they hadn’t been elected yet. These would be Barnes, Conaway, Kramer, Levi, Schuler, Valderrama, and Waldstreicher. If we can get these seven on board to join the GOP and Kelly, the vote would be 14-7 (the Chair generally does not vote) to get it out of committee and that sort of overwhelming bipartisan majority may work to help convince Vallario he needs to step aside on this one. Granted, since 11 of the 16 Democrats on the committee have lifetime monoblogue Accountability Ratings under 5 it’s a hard job convincing many of these about common-sense legislation but the fact they passed Jessica’s Law umanimously in 2007 gives me hope.

Once this makes it to be considered by the Judiciary Committee, certainly this should be a no-brainer – especially since committee votes are now included in public records.