Published: July 13, 2008 05:10 pm            

Weekly wrap - Monday, July 14, 2008

On sex offender searches:

Sex crimes are horrific. Sex offenders must be monitored. But once an offender serves time and is listed on the state’s registry, should the offender’s family members be subject to ongoing searches?

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana thinks they have a right not to be subject to search. The court struck down a provision of a state law that would have required searches of offenders’ homes.

The decision came a few days before a new law, authored by Rep. Scott Reske, D-Pendleton, was to go into effect July 1.

Under the bill, sex offenders would have been required to submit to a search, at any time, of their personal computers as a condition of probation or parole. They would have been required to purchase hardware or software so their Internet usage could be monitored.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana challenged the law as a violation of the Fourth Amendment prohibiting unreasonable searches and requiring a probable cause for issuance of a warrant.

As much as we hate sexual or violent crimes, offenders who have served their time should be allowed to return to society while adhering to court-ordered monitoring.

– The Herald Bulletin, Anderson

On expanding gambling:

The Indiana General Assembly unwisely decided this year to let bars legally sell pull tabs. The slope is getting more slippery every year.

The tavern owners successfully argued that because business was suffering at their establishments, they needed a way to bring in extra revenue.

There’s a reason for not letting just everyone sell alcoholic beverages. The same is true of gambling.

The Hoosier Lottery was set up to benefit the entire state. Riverboat casinos were authorized to benefit communities in distress. Not just anyone could set up a casino, either. This gambling is strictly controlled. Since then, the floodgates of legalized gambling have been pushed ever wider.

Protecting the casino industry has made sense. Expanding legalized gambling to bars doesn’t.

The slippery slope to moral decay gets greased with major expansions of gambling, such as this latest one. Now that bars can legally sell pull tabs and other low-stakes games of chance, it’s time to say enough is enough. It’s time to take a hard line against any future expansion of gambling.

– The Times, Munster

On adult bookstore law:

Good for U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker, who on the day it would have taken effect struck down an ill-advised Indiana law that would have required bookstores and other retailers to register with the state and pay a $250 fee if they want to sell sexually explicit material.

Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville, said he wrote the law to stop companies from deceiving communities with weak zoning laws. He noted one company told the southern Indiana community of Dale it planned to operate a truck stop, but instead opened an adult business.

But that represents a failure of good zoning laws, not cause for an end run around First Amendment guarantees of expression.

Thanks to Attorney General Steve Carter, there will be no costly appeal, at taxpayers’ expense, of the judge’s ruling. Carter said that if legislators want such a law, they could try again in the next session to enact a stronger law with language that is clearer. Not to mention constitutional.

– Palladium-Item, Richmond

        

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