Arguing that he was keeping nearly 900 sex offenders from being let loose on unknowing communities, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Kansas City explaining his veto of a bill passed by the legislature.
Nixon said House Bill 301 would remove convicted sex offenders from registries and keep prosecutors and victim’s from having a say — “this bill is over-broad, would endanger public safety and make inaccessible this important information so that folks can find out whether there are sex offenders either applying for jobs in their area or moving into their area or coming to work at potentially a day care center or a school.”
The bill would have removed juvenile sex offenders from registries, regardless the crime. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker agrees with the Governor. She fears the legislature will override the veto.
Both Baker and Gov. Nixon say they think the measure was put together in the final days or hours of the legislative session and passed without much scrutiny.
Nixon said he doubted supporters of the legislation, intended for its ramifications to go this far.