MI Senate approves sex offender bill

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The state Senate on Thursday approved a bill to radically change Michigan's Sex Offender Registry, making it easier to pick out potential predators on the list.

Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, told 24 Hour News 8 the Senate voted 36-0 for the legislation he co-sponsored. He expects the bill to pass the full House next week.

A Target 8 investigation exposed flaws in the sex offender registry, showing how difficult it was to pick out the most dangerous among the 42,000 names on the list. The legislation would separate offenders into three tiers, with the most serious on Tier 3. The least serious, so-called Tier 1 offenders, would be able to leave the list early -- if they stay out of trouble for 10 years.

Also among other big changes -- "Romeo and Juliet cases" involving consenting teens would no longer make the list, as long as they are separated in age by no more than four years. Such offenders already on the list would have to petition a judge for removal.

Juvenile offenders would no longer make the public list -- at all. Now, juveniles convicted of the most serious offenses -- first- or second-degree sexual assault -- show up on the list when they turn 18.

The bill would put the state in compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act.