Maryland Delegates Rude in Sex Offender Bill Hearings?

Posted with permission from Faye Bruso:

    Jessica’s Law –HB-930 and SB-413

    On March 13 and March 14, I attended the hearings on Jessica’s Law, HB-930 and SB-413. Beings this was my first experience at attending this type of hearing, I was under the impression that our elected officials, would have the common courtesy and decency to listen with an open mind to what I believe, no  what I know, is an important issue and not to be taken lightly.

 

On Tuesday Mr. Vallario was rude, arrogant and because it was obvious that he did not want to take the heat for this bill not being passed last year as written, but due to him was passed  (watered down) and wanted to sweep all of this under the rug. Mr. Vallario has children, grandchildren, and I truly do not understand that he would not feel that a mandatory sentence of 25 years would not be appropriate for anyone who violates a child’s life, which as we all know, that child faces a life sentence of memories of what happen, if in fact that child was allowed to live. Is Mr. Vallario afraid that he would not get as many cases to defend; God only knows he does not need the money? 

 

I found Mr. Vallario remarks and his repeated yelling out through out the day several times that Mr. Jerry Norton was the only one that showed up last year to testify on this bill was totally inappropriate and embarrassing that one of our elected officials would conduct himself in this manner.  Does Mr. Vallario truly think, that if this bill had gone the proper route, would not have had more people attend last year?

 

The bottom line it really does not matter who showed up last year, which seemed to be more important to Mr. Vallario then why we were there on Tuesday. Mr. Vallario knew that the only way for him not take the heat for this failed bill from last year was to try and make everyone attending on Tuesday look like idiots’ and convert the attention away from his failed passing of the bill last year.. I wonder what Mr. Vallario did with all of the letters that was actually handed to him on February 20^th in support for Jessica’s Law, which more than likely ended up in some box somewhere or trashed.

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I do not understand how Mr. Vallario would not support this bill and feel that twenty five years for destroying a child’s life, is not the correct thing to do. I wonder how he would feel, if he had to live with the fact, that a repeated sex offender violated one of his grandchildren. You know the saying, if the shoe fits, wear it.

 

On Wednesday, March 14^th, I choose to testify. While I am sure that other bills due to be presented were also important, I fail to understand that Mr. Frosh saw to it that SB-413 was not allowed to be addressed until last and why Mr. Frosh chose to leave just before SB-413 was presented. Mr. Frosh needs to hang his head in shame as to the way he conducted the proceedings. As we all know, Mr. Frosh was well aware of the amount of people signed up to speak concerning Jessica’s Law, he knew that the reporters and news media were there to hear and report on this important bill and the passing of it.

 

 

 

 

But Mr. Frosh took it upon himself to re-route the testimony of over 25 people and not allow those people to speak until all of the other bills had been presented. I cannot believe that we have put our trust and faith in the hands of people who are so biased and lack good judgment. I wonder what Mr. Frosh did with the letters that he received on February 20^th, or I hope he received as he choose not to accept this letters in person but sent a staff member out in the hall to receive the letters written in support of Jessica’s Law.

 

Mr. Frosh knew that the media was there, and he choose to not to take the bills in sequence but did his best to put SB-413 on the back burner with the hopes that we would all go away including the news media. That is what happened; we ended up with no news media coverage. The game plan worked. As I sat there from 1pm to approximately 6:30pm or a little later to testify, Mr. Frosh got up and went home. How convenient for him. At that point, there were only, I believe, three or four members of the committee who remained and sat patiently to listen to testimony. Mr. Frosh handed the proceedings over to Mr. Stone and in my opinion he also wanted to go home and he too I felt was also at some point rude. As my time was up with my testimony, I was asked a question and after answering the question I indicated that I had only a few more sentences to say, but was told by Mr. Stone my time was up, basely sit down.  We had sat all day long and had given that committee the courtesy of listening to all of the other bills, but do you think that Mr. Stone gave us the courtesy of speaking pass our three minutes. I can tell you that I was not impressed with Vice Chairman Gladden actions and her lack of interest, also. What a well-planned effort by Mr. Vallario, Mr. Frosh and Vice Chairman Gladden to try to put this on the back burner thinking it would go away.

 

One question asked by one of the members of the committee was did we have any history of the bill since it had been passed in October. You only have to pick up a newspaper, listen to TV or radio to hear on a daily basis of another story of a child that was molested, raped, tortured or killed by a sex offender, and the majority of those being repeated offenders. Case in point as yesterday we had to read again about a young boy found murdered and more than likely sexually assaulted prior to his death by repeated sex offender in GA.  Do the members of house and the senate live in glass houses?

 

I am so appalled by the inexcusable actions by both Mr. Vallario and Mr. Frosh and how they conducted the hearings or the lack of conducting the hearings concerning SB-413 and HB-930 that both should be made accountable publicly for their actions and the discourtesy that was shown to the people of the state of

Maryland

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Faye Bruso –

Calvert

County

Maryland