And before it is mentioned - yes a strange irony my example is the town of Salem. Appropriate given the context.

But many other towns have enacted the ordinance.

Surprised they haven't been sued, as they cant make ordinances that prevent a class of people from residing in cities. CA RSOL recently won a lawsuit against the county of El Dorado which prohibited SO's from ever visiting the county.

Yah? Beautiful. I am off to read about that.

I really don't want to live in a city who has these laws but I want to prepare should a city I choose to live in enact such a law. Although at that point I think I'd be exempt.

The interesting thing is WI did try to get these local towns to repeal their ordinances but failed. I think it was a law proposal to ban the local laws not a lawsuit.

As in IL I wish I had the time, money and guts to get arrested or violate the laws and fight them through the courts.

One of the reasons for repeal is county law can't trump state law. Is that true in all states? Will this lead to CA just banning at a state level?

In 2013 in Colorado, the ACLU helped win a case against the City of Englewood, which had tried to pass a law that made it virtually impossible for a SO to live anywhere within the city limits. Englewood is a suburb of Denver.

And do you think this means I *can* sue IL? If lawsuits worked in CA? And the person suing was allowed to be anonymous!!

There are multiple reasons more lawsuits haven’t been filed. Joe named two of them — lack of plaintiffs and lack of funds. There are more than 300 ordinances passed by cities and counties that need to be challenged. If there are individuals who are willing to serve as plaintiffs, please contact me by E-mail at jmbellucci@aol.com. Donations in support of this good cause are always welcome!

I'll look up Englewood as well, thanks!

I would suggest you message are admin Wisconsonrsol sense she lives in the area and can tell you what to do and help you out

There have been a few challenges to ordinances but from what I can recall only those that had to do with residency restrictions being applied to people that have owned their homes for decades. But someone from outside trying to come in or purchasing a home in an area that has these laws and then being found out faces fines and things from the locale and then whatever litigation that will come there after. I don't think many will challenge the issue and just choose to live elsewhere and give their property tax money to a locale that is more receptive.

I believe the lack of challenges is due to the apathetic nature that has become the norm amongst the people of this world. There is a large concentration of registrants in the areas between Green Bay and Milwaukee and then from Milwaukee on over to La Crosse including Madison and all those little towns surrounding them. There are a lot of families of offenders in those areas, there are a lot of offenders in those areas and I am not sure how many of them in their own locations (because they were grandfathered in) cared about the ordinance because it didn't apply to them so why fight it? I am sure my attitude at times of why help people that are so unwilling to help themselves, but certainly not unable, as all it would take is a trip to the town or village hall to participate in our government. the one that is supposed to be by the people and for the people. We the people can take the control back but we have to actually do something...

Sorry I sound rather negative, my day at work has been a bear and I am probably taking it out on this subject... my apologies.

Lol, I hear you on taking out work frustrations on other areas, Wis.

I wouldn't mind flaunting that Domicile law if every town that had it didn't also have a school restriction which is too important to me to risk losing / waiting years for a resolution. It is why I am leaving IL.

I'd love to move to Northern Wis but my husband has to be close to Madison for his doctors and if called for a kidney transplant in Chicago we need to get there in 4 hours.

Or I'd be up by Eau Claire.

The Domicile laws were created to stop WI jails from placing released sex offenders into towns.

I'm sure it's not really intended to keep old offenders like me away - but then again they'd be happy to keep all offenders out.

I was merely curious if other jurisdictions did these domicile laws and how they managed it because it seems totally illegal.

But like Wis said I probably won't waste my time fighting to live in a town that doesn't want me.

I think that if they were ever challenged in the appropriate court with the correct argument that they would all be found unconstitutional in some way. But getting someone to challenge it and go through the trauma of court and all that entails is a lot to ask of every offender out there and their families.

It doesn't make me think any less that it is something that drastic that will be required from all offenders and their families to get things changed for the better though...

So I am continually caught between my own rock and hard place as I don't need to move and have there are no residency restrictions here and I doubt there would be.

I don't know about other states and their local ordinances, but I am guessing that there are pockets of those ordinances in every state in some way shape or form.

I hear MN has some and OH too. I thought I saw even a central IL town tried to pass one.

( local restrictions not Domicile laws)

My fear isn't as much residency restrictions although here in IL the 500 feet laws are easy to manage vs. the 2000 feet laws in some cities- but I hate the restrictions on where I can go.

Even without kids I can't join the rec center or take my dog to the dog park and now I can't eat at a McDonalds.

IL has conflicting laws on parks - one section says I can't go at all. Another I can go if I have my kids with me but can't talk to other kids. But Tonia's take is by the letter of the law even with kids you can't be in parks, forest preserves or land run by the park district.

If my job weren't an issue I'd be more likely to stick my neck out there.

Here's to hoping I win the lottery!