Mandatory Sex Offender Sentences Rejected

Sad day in Colorado. But not for pedophiles.

The House Judiciary Committee has rejected a proposal that would have required mandatory jail time for sex offenders, citing the $140 million price tag the first five years.

However, the measure (House Bill 1144) remained alive Thursday when the House Judiciary Committee tied 5-5 on a vote to kill it.

The bill would require a mandatory sentence of at least 20 years and no more than 30 years for an offender who commits a sexual assault on a child 14 years or younger, or seven years younger than the offender.