Like most Alaskans, I am proud of our state. However, a recent news article disturbed me. The article reported that the rates of sex assault in Anchorage, and in Alaska as a whole, are among the highest in the nation. Since 1976, the state has ranked in the top five in the nation for reported rapes per capita.

I got to thinking about that and the question I kept coming back to is this: What am I going to say to the people of my district and the people of this state when I am rightly asked, "What did you do to stop this?" Did I help to strengthen the laws? Did I raise the community's awareness? Did I help get money for a shelter or help fund a study that would look at the pattern of the cases?

We can't go on leading the nation in sex assault. I feel ashamed about that. We must use all our power to get our rates down and keep them down.

Gov. Murkowski promised during the campaign and in his State of the State address to get tough on crime. I welcome the governor's attitude. I would encourage him to focus on the truly bad actors in the criminal justice system -- on the individuals who, in just a few minutes of outrageous behavior, can inflict a lifetime of damage on a victim.

I have three proposals.

First, we must strengthen the laws on repeat sex offenders. We must carefully target those individuals who have been convicted of sex crimes in the past, and when they commit another sex crime we must hammer them and hammer them hard.

The law as it stands treats all repeat felons the same. For example, if you commit a sex assault, do your prison time and upon release commit another sex assault, the law treats that first conviction as if it were the same as stealing a car or forging a check. All two-time felons are the same, according to the law. I would argue, however, that a two-time rapist is different. A two-time rapist needs to spend a long time in a small place where he can't hurt anyone else. I'll be proposing a change to the sentencing laws to deal with these hard-core repeat offenders.

My second idea jelled when I read about Carlos Rodriguez, who was released from prison recently. Rodriguez made his criminal career enticing young boys 12 to 14 years old with drugs and alcohol, then forcing sex on them. Most were too ashamed to go to the police. Several of his victims committed suicide over the years. Now Rodriguez is out of prison and in the care of an overworked parole officer.

Back in 1983, when he was convicted, Rodriguez was sentenced to 24 years in prison. So 1983 plus 24 should equal 2007. Why was he released early? Good time. Prisoners earn good time for obeying the rules in prison. Good time is why Carlos Rodriguez is out on the streets. Repeat sex offenders should not get the same good-time reduction as other prisoners.

We also need to know more. A study has been proposed to provide demographic information about rape victims and offenders in Anchorage and to provide more details about the actual assaults. The same questions should be researched statewide.

The overwhelming majority of sex assaults committed in this state are inflicted upon women and children. There's no political angle to this subject. There's no Democratic way to feel about this, nor is there a Republican way to feel. There's only one way to feel, and that's outraged.

Please join me in sharing that feeling of outrage. Please join me in supporting legislation and funding to address Alaska's problems in this area. Alaska should not lead the nation in sex assaults. This is one area in which every Alaskan would be proud to be in last place.

Sen. Hollis French represents District M in Anchorage.