PORTLAND (AP) – Republicans and Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives are accusing each other of intentionally misleading voters over a new state law that increases penalties for sex offenders who abuse young children.

Both parties are crying foul over fliers circulated by legislative candidates that purport to explain how their opponents voted on “Jessica’s Law.” They’re accusing each other of selectively using roll call votes to misrepresent their opponents’ position.

At a news conference in Portland, Assistant House Republican Leader Joshua Tardy of Newport charged that at least 10 Republican representatives who voted against one version of the bill have been targeted as soft on crime in Democratic mailings.

GOP lawmakers were anything but soft on crime because they supported a version of the bill that called for mandatory sentences, Tardy said Tuesday.

A flier promoting Democratic challenger Ellen Dickens of Newcastle in House District 51 erroneously states that Republican Rep. Jonathan McKane of Newcastle voted against “mandatory sentences for sex offenders in crimes against kids.”

Another flier, promoting Democratic challenger Robert Eaton of Sullivan in House District 34, says Republican Rep. Leonard Bierman of Sorrento voted against “protecting Maine children from sex offenders by creating stricter sentences.”

The bill initially considered by the Legislature called for mandatory 25-year sentences for first-time offenders who are convicted of gross sexual assault against a child younger than 12, and life in prison for repeat offenders.

The modified bill passed by the Legislature sets 20 years as the basic prison term and allows judges to impose shorter sentences.

Dickens and Bierman voted against the modified bill, and then voted in support of a failed amendment to restore the harsher terms.

For his part, House Democratic Leader Glenn Cummings said he knows of three or four campaign fliers that take aim at Democratic incumbents by accusing them of voting against mandatory sentences for child abusers.

Cummings said that fails to acknowledge that those lawmakers voted for the modified version of the bill, which had the support of the Maine Prosecutors Association.

“I think what you’re seeing is that the legislative process is very complex, (so) it is easy for either side to mold those positions to their advantage,” he said.