| House Expected to Debate Domestic Violence Bill |
| (Columbia) - House lawmakers are expected
to debate a tougher version of a new domestic violence bill Tuesday
afternoon. This comes after lawmakers faced a lot of heat last week
for being too soft on the issue. House Speaker David Wilkins, is a Republican co-sponsor of the bill. He says we can expect a few changes, including tougher penalties for first and second offenses. Wilkins says the third offense would become a felony. Wilkins says they've also worked on a provision to allow judges to be trained better for domestic violence cases. Another part of the bill would allow first time offenders to apply to have their record expunged after five years. Currently, they can apply to have that offense taken off the record in three years. Nancy Barton works with Sistercare, an agency that helps battered women. She says the new bill is a start in the right direction. She says convicted batterers should never have an offense taken off their record, but at least a ten year wait would be better. News19 will keep you updated as lawmakers debate the proposed changes. |