Assemblyman Tom O’Mara (R,C-Horseheads) today joined his minority colleagues, Kim Talman, state chair of the National Association to Protect Children, and district attorneys from across the state in urging Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his majority members to pass legislation aimed at protecting New Yorkers from sexual predators.

“Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver shows an utter disregard for New York families by not bringing this legislation to the floor for a vote,” said O’Mara. “The speaker’s motivation, in this instance, is unexplainable.”

O’Mara and his colleagues have led the charge to strengthen laws that further protect New Yorkers from sexual predators. Inexplicably, he added, the Assembly majority takes every chance to block important legislation designed to protect New Yorkers from sexual predators including civil confinement of violent sex offenders, elimination of the five-year statute of limitations for rape cases and expansion of the state DNA database.

Oddly enough, notes O’Mara, no vote has been taken on Assemblyman Joseph Lentol’s bill to eliminate New York’s “incest loophole” and allow children who are raped by family members the same protection as other child victims. O’Mara pointed out Lentol is a majority member and chair of the Assembly Codes Committee. This bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 58-0.

“The legislation we are proposing is a no-brainer,” remarked O’Mara. “We need legislation to strengthen New York’s laws against sex offenders. Now is the time to act, Speaker Silver.”