(SNN Columbus) Ohio State Rep. Michael DeBose has proposed legislation that would clearly label convicted sexual offenders. Sex offenders would be forced to drive vehicles with pink license plates.

Sex offenders would be forced to drive vehicles with pink license plates.

"If ever there were a crime that deserved special attention, sexual offenses do," said DeBose, a Baptist minister. "If we are really serious about protecting our families, we need a mechanism for children to identify these people."

The bill would require those convicted of serious sex crimes to display a pink license plate with red letters. After five years of good behavior, a sexual offender could seek a hearing and apply for a generic license. Ohio already uses yellow license plates to identify drunken drivers.

Pink and red are the perfect colors to attract young girls

While everyone wants to protect children, there are detractors to the bill. Some point out that pink and red are the perfect colors to attract young girls, having been the central colors for marketing schemes targeted at girls for decades. Also, pink on vehicles has long been associated with roving cosmetics sellers. Some worry that car thieves stealing a sex offender’s car would be unfairly treated. Others fear that this bill would take away sex offenders' ability to be productive members of society and even go as far as to say it would paint a target on offenders' backs.

This bill replaces an earlier bill that would have required sex offenders to wear jumpsuits with targets painted on the back.

posted by NewsBlog 5000  # Friday, May 06, 2005