Jon Tester for U.S. Senate

The safety of Montana children needs to be dealt with seriously, not just as a political football. Jon Tester has a record of getting tough on sexual predators and in the U.S. Senate he will fight to keep Montana kids safe from internet pornography and get tough in the fight against sexual predators. On the other hand, Sen. Burns has a record of failure to keep Montanan children safe, opposing requiring sex offenders to register with local authorities and voting in the extreme minority against legislation to crack down on internet child pornography.

Dedicate resources to cracking down on sexual predators who fail to register. Every year sexual predators fail to meet their register their address and slip off the grid. Too often local law enforcement are stretched to thin to find these dangerous predators. Jon Tester supports dedicating federal resources to assist states in efforts to track down sex offenders who have failed to register.

Protect kids from on-line predators through the Internet Safety and Child Protection Trust Fund (ISCP Trust Fund). Jon Tester supports the creation of a trust fund to centralize federal resources in support of efforts on the part of law enforcement and others to combat internet- and pornography- related crimes against children, as well as federal resources that assist parents in their efforts to monitor the content to which kids are exposed on-line. Trust Fund revenues will be allocated to a range of federal, state, private, and non-profit internet safety and child protection initiatives.

Replace the “porn standard” with real age verification. Jon Tester believes we need to set real standards to protect our children from internet pornography by replacing the flimsy honor system used by the porn industry with a new FTC-approved system that uses existing technology to require porn sites to accurately verify the age of those accessing their materials. The new system is based on available technology used by online merchants, banks and credit card companies in which sales of certain materials are not processed without age verification.

Increase accountability for efforts to fight child predators. Our children safety should be a top priority for all parts of American society. Jon Tester supports legislation requiring the financial industry, ISPs and telecommunications providers to assist and cooperate with law enforcement; detailed annual accounting of every federal dollar appropriated to combate child exploitation and other crimes against children; clear and strong laws, rules and procedures to govern reporting by members and staff of Congress of alleged child abuse.

Jon Tester Has A Record Of Protecting Montana’s Children

Tester Voted To Monitor Sex Offenders Electronically. In 2005, Tester voted for legislation that would require that level three sex offenders be constantly monitored by a satellite-based monitoring system to be created by the Department of Corrections. The bill became law. [SB 207, Tester yea, 3/18/05]

Tester Voted To Ensure Offender Registration Was Current. In 2005, Tester voted for legislation that would require strict registration of sex offenders. The bill required that level three sex offender by mailed an address verification form by the Department of Justice every 90 days. For level one and two sex offenders the verification form would be required every year. This legislation would help to ensure that registration information on sexual offenders remained current. The bill became law. [HB 49, Tester yea, 3/24/06]

Tester Voted To Extend Unemployment Benefits For Victims Who Leave Work Due To Sexual Assault or Stalking. In 2005, Tester voted for legislation to extend unemployment benefits to those who left work due to being a victim of sexual assault or stalking. The bill became law. [HB 567, Tester yea, 3/19/05]

Tester Voted For Life In Prison For The Sexual Abuse of Children. In 2005, Tester voted for legislation that would revise laws regarding the sexual abuse of children to provide for life in prison or imprisonment for no more than 100 years for individuals convicted of sexually abusing a child. The law defines a sexual offense against a child to be when an individual uses a child in sexual conduct as well as knowingly “photographs, films, or videotapes, or records a child engaging in sexual conduct, actual or simulated.” The bill became law. [SB 381, Tester yea, 2/21/05]

Tester Introduced Legislation To Require Sexual and Violent Offenders To Pay Cost of Registering With State. In 2003, Tester introduced legislation to require sexual and violent offenders to pay the costs of registering with the state and local law enforcement. [HB 308, Tester yea, 3/31/03]

Tester Voted To Create A Community Awareness Program About Sexual And Violent Offenders Into a Community. In 2001, Tester voted to create a statewide community education program regarding the release of sexual and violent offenders into a community. The curriculum would involve information for families and children regarding personal safety, including potential warning signs that may help to avoid victimization. The bill became law. [HB 109, Tester yea, 3/26/01]

Tester Voted To Require Sex Offenders To Register Retroactively With the State. In 2001, Tester voted for legislation that would require sex offenders to register retroactively with the state of Montana and also require registration for offenders who were originally convicted in a different state. [HB 329, Tester yea, 3/12/01]

Tester Voted For Restrictions On Where Sex Offenders Could Live And Work. In 2001, Tester voted to allow a judge to place restrictions on where a level three sex offender could live and work based on protecting a class or classes of people. The bill became law. [HB 434, Tester yea, 3/31/01]

Burns’ Votes Failed To Protect Children

Burns One of 15 to Vote Against Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996. Burns was one of 15 senators to vote against the Child Pornography Act of 1996, which Congress enacted as part of a campaign to deter a proliferation of computer-generated child porn. [H.R. 4278, # 302, 9/30/96; San Jose Mercury News, 8/8/97]

Burns Voted Against Requiring Sexual Predators To Report Their Address To Authorities. In 1994, Burns voted against the 1994 Crime Bill which strengthened a provision requiring convicted sexual offenders to report their addresses to authorities by requiring the police to notify neighborhoods that the so-called sexual predator had moved in. The bill also contained the original 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which established the first-ever penalties for violence against women. [HR 3355, 8/25/94, #295; Boston Globe, 8/18/94]

Burns Voted Against Funding To Protect Children From Child Pornography. In 1995, Burns voted against protecting laws mitigating child pornography, child abuse, and illegal child labor from limits on federal mandates. [S. 1, 1/26/95, #54]