Montana News

AG Fox gets bi-partisan support for requested bills

Posted: Mar 2, 2013 8:56 AM by Lindsey Gordon - MTN News
Updated: Mar 2, 2013 9:01 AM

HELENA - Montana Attorney General Tim Fox says that the legislative issues that he's pushed for are not divisive political issues.

"They're designed to promote public safety in Montana," the Republican explained.

The bills Fox has requested include two that would revise sex-offender laws, and HB 335, passed through the house unanimously.

"We want to make sure that those offenders who predated our registry laws are assigned a tier level that we have a district court judges to be given the discretion to assign them a tier level so we can appropriately put them in the registry system," adds Fox.

SB 213 would require sex offenders from out of state give a DNA sample when they move and register in Montana, Fox believes this will solve cold cases and promote public safety in the future.

Then there is the HB 140, an attempt to stay ahead of what's being called "designer" drugs.

"Criminal minds tend to stay awake late at night trying to figure out ways to create different drugs that mimic some of the more known dangerous drugs that we see on the streets," said Fox.

This bill would criminalize the use of so called, ‘bath salts' and allow law enforcement to pursue offenders.

Many of the AG's bills will pass to the other chamber when the legislature resumes next week.