The Pierce County Council wants to restrict where sex offenders can live, but first it needs permission from the Legislature.
The seven-member council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday that asks the Legislature to give local governments the power to impose rules that prohibit sex offenders from living near schools, parks and other places where children and other vulnerable people gather.
It’s a power that state lawmakers revoked in 2006 in an effort to develop statewide guidelines. That effort has stalled, and council members said it’s time to give that power back to local leaders.
“They failed to come up with a state solution,” said Councilman Calvin Goings, D-Puyallup.
In 2006 the Legislature approved a law pre-empting new local rules restricting where sex offenders can live. A state law that prohibits certain sex offenders from living within 880 feet of a school remains in effect.
The 2006 law required the Association of Washington Cities – a nonprofit group that lobbies state officials on behalf of cities and towns – to agree on limits for sex offender housing that could be used by local governments statewide.
However, the association failed to arrive at a consensus, and the state’s pre-emption of local governments remains in effect.
The pre-emption did not apply to existing local limits on sex offender housing. But Pierce County currently does not restrict sex offenders from living near schools, parks or churches, as some local governments do.
Now some on the County Council want to impose restrictions, but the 2006 law stands in their way.
Councilman Shawn Bunney, R-Lake Tapps, said the council wants the Legislature “to get out of our way.”
While the county awaits a response from state lawmakers, the council has asked its staff to draft proposed restrictions limiting where sex offenders can live.
David Wickert: 253-274-7341
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