AUGUSTA – While testifying for tougher laws to monitor sex offenders, Portland Police Chief Michael Chitwood surprised some last Monday when he said his city has become a draw for sex offenders because of services it offers the poor.

As the legislative Criminal Justice Committee listened to proposals to prevent more victims, Chitwood said an unintended consequence of helping the homeless is that some people getting out of prison in other states head to Portland.

Few places offer the kind of help that Portland’s shelter does, Chitwood said: several meals a day, a place to sleep and take a shower, a mail drop and some health care.

“We are seeing a tremendous amount of individuals moving to our city from across the country, California, Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, all who have been convicted of serious crimes against children,” Chitwood said. There’s no way police and the community can find out about their history “until they’re arrested for another charge,” Chitwood said. “That’s very, very frightening.”

Chitwood said his department is trying to figure out what kind of notification to give the public about three recently arrived sex offenders. They aren’t covered by existing notification law because they were not convicted in Maine, and they were convicted in the late ’80s. Maine law says convicted sex offenders must register only if convicted after June 30, 1992.

One lawmaker asked Chitwood whether Portland was being too generous.

Chitwood shrugged, his city is doing the right thing in helping the poor. Other than asking for better tools to inform the public, and for laws that barred sex offenders from living near schools and day care centers, Chitwood didn’t have the answer on where sex offenders should live.

Then he offered an idea. Joking, or maybe not joking, he said, “There’s an island in Casco Bay.”

Earth Day kudos

Friday, April 22, is Earth Day. Maine’s top source of air pollution is cars and trucks.

Here’s a look at legislators who drive environmental friendly cars, provided with help from Judy Berk of the Natural Resource Council of Maine, who praises the lawmakers.

Sen. Barry Hobbins, D-Saco, drives a Honda Accord hybrid. Rep. Robert Duchesne, D-Hudson, and Rep. Ted Koffman, D-Bar Harbor, both members of the Natural Resources Committee, drive Toyota Prius hybrids.

Sen. Ethan Strimling, D-Portland, drives a SUV, but it’s a hybrid.

Berk said she gives all those who drive hybrids “a gold star – or a green star – for driving the cleanest cars around.” She also gave kudos to others who drive smaller, high-efficiency vehicles, because the less fuel a vehicle burns, the less it pollutes.

Those vehicles include Auburn Rep. Deborah Pelletier-Simpson’s Toyota Corolla and Lewiston Rep. Margaret Craven’s Honda Civic. Craven said she carpools with Rep. William Walcott, D-Lewiston, when their schedules allow. “I’d like to have a hybrid, but I can’t afford it,” Craven said.

Lawmakers on vacation

Like the area schools, most lawmakers are on vacation this week.

There’s no session in the House and Senate this week, and most of the 18 legislative committees will not meet.

As it does every other year during third week of April, the Legislature is taking the week off, allowing staff to catch up with processing bills and the accompanying paperwork.

There’ll be plenty of parking.

Quote of the week:

“Every question after 4:30 p.m. costs a $1.”

– Rep. Robert Daigel, R-Arundel, to Rep. Tom Saviello, D-Wilton, during a long Natural Resources Committee meeting after Saviello asked another question. Saviello gave Daigel $1, but Daigel had to give it back when he asked a question.

– Bonnie Washuk is a Sun Journal’s State House reporter.