Virginia Democrats reportedly quickly dispatched Delegate Kim Taylor’s sex offender legislation, as another proponent of her bill joins her in crying foul.
A Virginia Republican lawmaker is blasting Democratic leaders in Richmond, after what she characterized as their hasty dispatching of a fresh piece of legislation she authored targeting sex offenders and people deemed dangerous to children.
Delegate Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, who herself won a “Biden+12” district in what is the state’s most Democratic municipality per-capita, said protecting the public from sexual deviants transcends party lines.
“[This] isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a basic duty of any community that values safety and decency,” Taylor told Fox News Digital.
“These individuals, with proven histories of predatory behavior, pose a real threat when allowed unrestricted access to public spaces like parks, schools or locker rooms.”
TRUMP’S ICE NABS CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AMONG 530 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN SINGLE DAY
Taylor alleged her bill, HB 2527 – which would have prohibited most sex offenders from “loitering” within state parks and other places where they would be in “proximity to children,” including schools, playgrounds, daycares and the like – was wrongly and quietly terminated.
The bill was listed as last referred to the Courts of Justice Committee, but with the legislature adjourned “sine die” – essentially ending the session – barring a rare special session being called, the bill was never heard nor voted on and is considered “dead.”
“This should not be about politics, it should be about prioritizing the vulnerable over political gamesmanship,” said Taylor, who added she had also drafted another never-heard bill toughening penalties for sex trafficking.
“Time and time and again, Democrats have dismissed or killed commonsense legislation that would protect women and children.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Delegates Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, Courts Committee chair, and Marcus Simon, D-Dunn Loring, committee vice chair, for comment. Neither lawmaker returned calls.
TED CRUZ QUESTIONS JUSTICE JACKSON OVER SEX OFFENDER CASES
Delegate Wren Williams, R-Stuart, who co-sponsored Taylor’s bill, blamed Democrats across Virginia – particularly in the committee leaders’ districts – for “jeopardizing the safety of women and girls by refusing to support commonsense legislation.”
Williams said there is a heightened threat from registered sex offenders in public spaces, specifically citing the case of Richard Kenneth Cox – a serial flasher who has recently faced dozens of charges in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.
Local media reported Cox has faced more than 20 charges in Arlington County alone, including reports reaching back to the 1990s when he was accused of masturbating in front of children.
Cox has also had recent encounters with Fairfax County police, including one in November. Bodycam footage aired by FOX5DC purportedly shows Cox claiming a civil rights violation for identifying as a transgender woman – after authorities responded to reports of Cox “lurking” in a Fairfax gym’s locker room.
Williams argued that the legislation is urgently needed, and claimed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano “prioritize[s] woke ideology over the well-being of our communities.” Washington’s ABC affiliate reported that the prosecutor had dismissed charges against Cox.
“There is no justification for allowing someone like Richard Cox, a convicted sex offender with a disturbing criminal record, to waltz into girls’ locker rooms unchecked,” Williams said in characterizing the case as the poster child for the necessity of Taylor’s bill.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Democrats have repeatedly killed practical bills that would enforce stricter protections and penalties, choosing instead to coddle predators under the guise of tolerance,” he said, calling the overall behavior on the left in Richmond a “betrayal” of women.
Fox News Digital reached out to Descano for a response. The prosecutor’s office did tell ABC7 that prosecutors are not involved in cases that are “pro se (without an attorney) misdemeanors.” The outlet later quoted a local attorney who found the indecent exposure nonprosecution “unusual.”
The Cox case, however, did draw the attention of other leaders in the heavily Democratic county, as Fairfax Board Chairman Jeffrey McKay reportedly said Taylor’s bill may have been beneficial.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, criticized McKay to ABC7, claiming Taylor’s bill had “nothing to do with local parks… or recreational facilities,” and suggested a change in policy on “which dressing rooms people can use” would be helpful.