Wednesday, January 24, 2001
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Wednesday, January 24, 2001 |
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Hecht bills take aim at child prostitution By DAVE
HAMRICK In his second term in the state Senate, Jonesboro's Greg Hecht continues to sponsor and cosponsor numerous bills, most of them involving criminal penalties. Hecht, who represents north Fayette and parts of three other counties, has introduced Senate Bill 34, the Crime Prevention Act of 2001, which provides a new category of penalty for escape, changes the definition of pandering and provides for forfeiture of a motor vehicle used for the third time in the commission of pandering. If the bill passes, those who use their cars or homes in pimping to turn children into prostitutes will lose them, and the crime will be a felony. "It's presently a misdemeanor and these people just consider that a cost of doing business," said Hecht. "This has just got to stop." Also in the bill is a new one- to five-year penalty for prisoners who escape before they are convicted of a crime. Current law provides one to ten years only for convicted felons who escape. "Again, a lot of these drug dealers consider that a cost of business," said Hecht. Penalties for some drug crimes are very high, whereas "It's just 12 months if they run," he said. Also, persons will be charged with pandering if they solicit anyone under 18. Current law says the person solicited must be under 17. Hecht's name also appears as cosponsor of SB 1, which addresses teen driving concerns. Under the bill, anyone getting a driver's license for the first time would have to have 40 hours of driving under the supervision of an adult 21 or older, at least six hours of that at night. It also provides for a limited license for those under 17, limiting the time of driving and the number of non-family passengers under 21. At 17, the holder of the restricted license could get full driving privileges if he or she has held the restricted license for 12 months with no serious violations on record. The bill also requires that license applicants be given an on the road driving test. Hecht also has cosponsored SB 15, which requires those convicted of various sexual and family violence crimes to pay $25 to have their photos published along with names, addresses and details of the crimes. Included in the extensive list of crimes covered by the provision is fornication, defined as follows: "An unmarried person commits the offense of fornication when he or she voluntarily has sexual intercourse with another person and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor." Hecht said he understood that provision might have been stricken down in court, but added he will look into it. "We need to look into some of that where there would be unintended consequences," he said. SB 35, the Child Sexual Commerce Prevention Act of 2001, also cosponsored by Hecht, raises the age of consent from 17 to 18 for pimping and pandering by compulsion. The bill also allows convictions for those who compel both males and females under 18 to perform prostitution "under duress or coercion." Current law defines the crime as applying to females. Hecht also has filed a measure aimed at slowing natural gas price increases and improving billing procedures. Senate Resolution 13 forms a study committee to field complaints and input from citizens and businesses around the state, gain explanations from providers, review billing processes, and to look for legislative solutions to changing prices, demand and changing times with regard to the provision of natural gas. "We need to find answers to the continuing problems facing our constituents regarding the provision of natural gas," said Hecht, adding that lawmakers need to find out the effect of deregulation on natural gas pricing and billing practices, Hecht said. "No one is stating that deregulation caused the increase in prices, but whether deregulation has resulted in increased prices or not is an area which must be determined," he said. He said this week the bill has been assigned to the Public Finance and Utilities Committee, and the chairman has promised to give it attention as soon as possible. Hecht hopes to pass the resolution for a study committee that would begin hearings in May or June. "The result will hopefully include legislative remedies and more tools for the PSC to handle problems," he said. Hecht's 34th District includes portions of Clayton, Douglas, Fayette and Fulton counties.
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