JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Major changes could be on the horizon for Missouri’s sex offender registry.
The state representative leading a committee that is looking into ways of cutting down the size of the state’s sex offender registry says it may make sense for the state to detach itself from federal sex registry rules.
Rep. Rodney Schad, R-Versailles, said Wednesday that large numbers of people on the state sex offenders registry are there due to federal rules that are more stringent than state laws. Schad said the result is hundreds, maybe thousands, of people on the sex registry do not have to be on that list. Schad said people on the list for less serious crimes aren’t able to find jobs and wind up costing the state through public assistance.