Congratulations to Connecticut, which just passed Jessica's Law, the strict mandatory prison legislation for adults who molest young children. Now that leaves only these yellow states that haven't passed Jessica's Law.: Idaho, Illinois, Wyoming, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Hawaii and of course Vermont.
Utah governor John Huntsman says he's working toward tough mandatory so Utah now becomes a gray state — Jessica's Law in progress. The green states on your screen have something close to Jessica's Law.
Now why are these eight states holding out? Well, in Idaho, Governor Butch Otter needs to step it up. The Idaho legislature would pass Jessica's Law if the governor would show some leadership.
Illinois is a mess. Governor Rod Blagojevich doesn't seem to care that his state has very lenient penalties for child molesters. A woman named Kara Smith in the attorney general's office in Illinois, is actively opposing Jessica's Law.
Wyoming is a complete mystery. This conservative state only mandates five years for first degree sexual assault on a child. Governor Dave Freudenthal doesn't care, and has even attacked "“The Factor”" for advocating Jessica's Law. The good people of Wyoming deserve much better than Freudenthal.
Colorado, as we've seen in the Boulder High School, scandal is a state in trouble. The House Judiciary Committee there voted down Jessica's Law. And Governor Bill Ritter could not care less. Bad things are happening in Colorado, I am sorry to say.
In New Jersey, Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein is blocking Jessica's Law. She is the villain there. Governor Jon Corzine doesn't seem to care.
In Hawaii, Governor Linda Lingle is not opposed to Jessica's Law, but the ultraliberal legislature isn't acting.
And finally, Massachusetts is making some progress, but it's slow going. The ACLU is opposing Jessica's Law in the bay state. And Governor Deval Patrick has no interest at all in protecting the kids. But there is legislation pending.
Vermont, you know about. The legislature there actively opposes tough measures against child predators.
Now of all the things we've done on “The Factor”, I am most proud of the Jessica's Law campaign. Not only does it punish predators in a fair way, but it sends a message that American society will not tolerate adults abusing children. There are no excuses.
“Factor" viewers have been in the forefront of pressuring politicians to pass Jessica's Law. Remember, about a year ago, there were only a few states. Now there are 42.
No other broadcast has taken on this cause. We're almost there. And if the good people in the eight hold out states contact their governors in no uncertain terms, we may advance Jessica's Law even further.
And that's "The Memo."
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