News from Assemblyman 130th Assembly District JOSEPH A. ERRIGO   For immediate release: May 20th, 2005 Contact: Adam Peterson (585) 334-5210 District Office: 3045 East Henrietta Rd., Henrietta, NY  14467 Albany Office: Rm 427 LOB, Albany, NY  12248

FOR RELEASE: MAY 20, 2005 CONTACT: BONNIE TURNER (585) 334-5210 ERRIGO LAUNCHES PETITION DRIVE IN SUPPORT OF CIVIL CONFINEMENT        Assemblyman Joseph Errigo (R-Conesus) has launched a statewide petition drive in an attempt to force Assembly Democrats to act on civil confinement legislation and other measures designed to further protect New York's children from dangerous sexual predators.      Civil confinement would allow judges to order the worst sex offenders held in secure mental health facilities beyond their prison release dates if, upon evaluation, there is significant reason to believe they may strike again. Under current law, sexually violent predators are freed when their sentences are finished despite the strong possibility they will offend again.      "Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly Democrats are not taking this legislation seriously," Errigo said. "What is more important then keeping our children safe from convicted sexual predators who roam the streets looking to strike at any time?"      Included on the petition are proposals to strengthen New York's Megan's Law by restricting sex offenders' access to schools, monitoring their movements through Global Positioning System satellites, providing more information about sexual predators to communities and requiring lifetime registration of offenders on the state Sex Offender Registry.      Errigo and his Assembly Republican colleagues have been urging a civil confinement law since 1993, and a similar bill has repeatedly passed the state Senate with bipartisan support (the vote was 58-2 this year). Gov. George Pataki said he would sign the legislation into law as soon as it reaches his desk.      Errigo is asking supporters of civil confinement legislation and a stronger Megan's Law to call Speaker Sheldon Silver's office at (518) 455-3791; Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, chair of the Assembly Codes Committee, at (518) 455-4477; and Assemblyman Peter Rivera, chair of the Assembly Mental Health Committee, at (518) 455-5102, and urge them to pass the legislation. All members of the Assembly can be reached via its Web site, www.assembly.state.ny.us.      Constituents wishing to sign the petition or distribute the document in their area may contact Errigo's district office at (585) 334-5210.   -30-