In a TV interview with WXII last night, Ross was asked about her fight against the registry, and refused to answer the reporter’s question. Instead, Ross dodges.
Ross’s radical record was also cited in a report from the Daily Tarheel noting flatly, “In 1997, Ross fought the launch of the state sex offender registry.” The story also includes observations from a North Carolina political analyst who offered:
"Her Democratic opponents said during the primary that these issues make her unelectable in the fall – they were right. These are visceral issues…"
Deborah Ross’s radical record:
Ross Opposed The Creation Of The North Carolina Sex Offender Registry:
- RECORDS: In An August 1995 Memo, Ross Slammed The Creation Of A Sex Offender Registry In North Carolina, Saying “This Bill Would Make It Even Harder For People To Reintegrate Into Society And Start Over And Could Lead To Vigilantism.” “SB 53 – Sex Offender Registration. This bill requires sex offenders, who have already served their time, to register with local authorities whenever they move to a new location. Any member of the public would have access to the sex offender list, complete with address. Despite the fact that this bill would make it even harder for people to reintegrate into society and start over and could lead to vigilantism, it passed both houses and is now law.” (Deborah Ross, Memo To The Legislative Committee Of The ACLU-NC, 8/4/95)
Ross Was Opposed To Putting The Sex Offender Registry Online:
- In 1997, Ross Was Opposed To An Online Sex Offender Registry In North Carolina Saying “It Will Have Unintended Consequences” And It Won’t Protect Children. “People checking offender lists might be surprised by what they find, some skeptics predict. They might discover people they know – not strangers who threaten their children. And even though victims’ names are supposed to remain private, those involving family members won’t be too hard to figure out. ‘It will have unintended consequences,’ said Deborah Ross, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina. ‘It’s another high-profile attempt to deal with the problem,’ Ross added. ‘The question is: Is this going to protect the kids?’ Her answer: no. Ross said the state could do much more to protect children by improving treatment for sex offenders and by helping families at risk of sexual abuse.” (Foon Rhee and Kathleen McClain, “Senate Broadens Sex Offender List,” Charlotte Observer, 5/22/97)