Senator Julia Lynn needs to re-research residency restriction laws

My condolences to my readers in Kansas, but you live in a boring ass state. That being said, at least Kansas has held a longstanding policy against residency restrictions. And state senator Julia Lynn was part of the reason why Kansas pass a moratorium against such laws.

Here is Julia Lynn in a 2007 article about why she voted in favor of the statewide mortorium on residency restrictions:

http://cjonline.com/stories/020907/sta_146319900.shtml

Sen. Julia Lynn, R-Olathe, said it is a matter of education. She said she probably was in favor of restrictions when she first came to the Legislature.

"But then I received all this information that most people don't get to see, and I have to vote based on that. (Restrictions) just don't work," she said.

Sen. Lynn voted this way because of the RESEARCH:

According to Roger Werholtz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Corrections, certain restrictions destabilize sex offenders by removing them from family networks, employment and housing. "Everybody agrees we want to keep kids safe, but the reality is these laws make things worse," he said.

Iowa passed a 2005 law that created a 2,000-foot buffer around schools and day cares, inside which registered sex offenders couldn't live. The Iowa County Attorneys Association and the Iowa State Sheriffs' and Deputies' Association have since asked for the buffer's repeal.

Werholtz said studies in Florida, Minnesota, Colorado and Arkansas also showed restrictions don't work.
"The conclusions were that there was no impact on incidents at best, and at worst they increased the possibility of reoffending," he said.

BUT, as the years gone by, Julia Lynn forgot her research. Fast forward to 2013. And now, she's in favor of residency laws:

State Senator Julia Lynn represents the part of Olathe in question. The State Senate has passed buffer zones before, but they never get final approval.

“I do think it’s a legitimate concern. I would like to see some sort of a buffer zone, I think that that is reasonable,” Lynn said...

Senator Lynn predicts residency restrictions for sex offenders will probably come up again in the next session; even though she admits law enforcement experts don’t support buffer zones because it can drive some offenders underground.

Translation: Don't let the facts get in the way of good politics.

It could be that Julia's just having a blonde moment. She needs to "re-research" this issue.