As the Grand Junction Sentinel reports:
Masturbating in public should be more than just a petty offense, Rep. Steve King said Wednesday.
That’s why the Grand Junction Republican introduced a bill into the Colorado Legislature to make the law clear when a person should be charged with public indecency.
King, who said the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council approached him about the matter, said the point behind the measure is to distinguish public indecency from other crimes that are not sexual in nature, such as streaking or urinating in public…
King said he knows he’s likely to be the brunt of numerous jokes around the statehouse, but public indecency is a serious subject.
“This is a touchy subject,” King said, laughing at his unintended pun. “Because of a focus on sexual crimes of children, it’s important to get the law right. But those who make the bad choice of urinating in public in an alley after a night of drinking, that’s not a sexual crime, and people shouldn’t be charged that way.”
Joking aside for just a moment, Rep. Steve King is right that more clearly sexual offenses in public should be handled differently from, for example, Boulder’s annual Pumpkin Run or Sen. Shawn Mitchell’s high school indiscretions. And with that, we’re back to the joking.
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I may not have a very high opinion of King as a legislator, but I think he’s right on this issue. People shouldn’t be put on the sexual offenders registry for getting caught relieving themselves in park–is it disgusting? No doubt. But it doesn’t warrant being put on the same list as child rapists.
Okay, back to the jokes: if public masturbation becomes a felony, won’t all the bloggers have to retire?
This is 20 percent of the bill he can introduce in the session.
I would rather have seen King use his five bills to benefit District 54.
more per capita offenders downtown or Lincoln Park. Or is Lincoln Park in District 55?
does speedo man live in?
“They aren’t the screamers on the far left bashing the President for going soft or the screechers on the far right who like to hear themselves…well screech for want of a better word about gloom and doom.” -Ellie
“Don’t think for one moment, under the current leadership that we have, if we retain this leadership, that you’re not next in line” -Scott McInnis
with a person’s name and I’ll tell you if I can.
but he gets plenty of press as “Speedo man”.
But I won’t publish it here. Shoot me an email.
I heard he skedaddled a while ago
n/t
n/t
Precinct 57.
Besides, I heard Speedo-Man has died.
there are reports that he died.
GJ needs people like Speedo Man
are arrested each year for urinating in public? The bill would benefit them, so in a way, a case can be made that this bill benefits the district.
This MUST be a good bill for District 54 after all.
Next question: wasn’t there something BETTER to justify one of his five bills?
So long as you don’t light it on fire — that’d be a felony in Greeley.
you know, adjusting?
…because he bailed from the Vets Court Bill committee as soon as he got to ask one stupid question.
“King seeks stiffer penalty for lewdness.”
You’re just asking for a typo with a headline like that.
“Masturbating in public should be more than just a petty offense”
I’m a little dyslexic and first thought this said masturbating should be a “petting” offense.
But all jokes aside, I hope this bill goes through. People urinating or simply sunbathing should not be in the same category with sexual predators.
It may have been more efficient to include this in a general criminal law clarification bill with other topics, but that would be nit-picking.
I’m still not sure how many shakes you get.
Ever since the year I “hi-jacked” the DA Council’s omnibus criminal law bill with the addition of hate crimes protections for LGBT and people with disabilities they now bring discrete, single topic bills with tight titles.
I’m the Senate sponsor of this bill with Rep. King, and it does fix some things in current law that miss the target. “Streaking” or getting caught urinating in public should not result in a requirement to register as a sex offender, but that can happen under current law, while we miss those with more sinister intentions.
I’m fully aware of the snickers and jokes people will make about this bill, but it’s a needed solution.
http://bit.ly/b5pMEC
King has five bills. He chose to carry this one.
If you’re going to defend the bill, please tell my why it’s more important to District 54 than, say, jobs.
I have no idea why Rep. King chose to carry this bill as one of his five. Who knows, maybe the DA in his area asked him to. Maybe there was a case in his district that showed the need for it. Maybe he got caught peeing in some not-entirely-private bushes. I simply don’t know.
Supporting a bill because it is good for the state as a whole is what I would expect of my legislator. If it benefits the whole state then that includes my district, and yours.
The job of the legislators is to address every issue that needs addressed, not just the headline items of the day. That means someone has to take up the smaller issues too.
May I watch?
Ouch, ouch, ouch……