LANSING – Domestic violence laws are being examined again after the brutal death of Mount Pleasant resident Mary Lynn Babb.

One proposal is for a space-age warning device to alert potential victims that their attackers are nearby.

Rep. Bill Caul, R-Mount Pleasant, is drafting a bill that would authorize courts to require domestic abusers to pay for and wear a Global Positioning System (GPS) tether device. It would give off a signal warning their abuse victims.

GPS uses a series of satellites to pinpoint and record the exact location of a person or object. The location is then sent through radio waves to a computer or detection device.

“The goal of the tether is to, one, alert the victim of the abuser’s presence nearby, and two, allow enough time for the victim to seek protection, whether that means leaving the area or calling the police,” Caul said.

The victim of a convicted or alleged abuser would carry a small GPS device and a cell phone. If the abuser gets too close, the device would signal the potential victim, who could then call police.

Caul said the need for the bill stems from concerns of constituents about the violent deaths of two women in the past year and a half.

Babb, the most recent victim, was fatally shot. Her estranged husband, who was already awaiting trial on several assault charges, is charged with murder.

According to police reports, on Jan. 9 Thomas Daniel Babb waited for her in the parking lot of the Morning Sun newspaper office where she worked. When she pulled into the parking lot, he rammed her SUV with his pickup until it flipped over, police said. Witnesses told police that Mary Babb tried to escape but was shot twice in the chest with a .20-gauge shotgun.

Police said Mary Babb had obtained a personal protection order and that her husband had been released on bond after being charged with beating and sexually assaulting her.

“At every level, protection orders are important, but we have to look beyond them. Protection orders are not always enough when there are abusers free on bond,” said Kathy Hagenian of the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Hagenian said even if current laws to protect domestic violence victims were enforced to the fullest extent, that wouldn’t be enough.

“A lot of abusers get in trouble for violations, but we have to go beyond the violation of protection orders and we need to punish them for the crimes they committed when they violated the protection order, not just the violation itself,” Hagenian said.

Hagenian said the coalition welcomes Caul’s proposed legislation, “We very much appreciate his concern for survivors and his interest in further protection.”

Caul said he hasn’t heard any opposition to the bill, but as it moves through the process, domestic violence victims’ advocates and survivors may have questions.

“We want to address the victims’ concerns with the bill and make sure it becomes something that everyone can agree on. Our ultimate goal is to achieve the best legislation possible,” he said.

In 2000, the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board launched a pilot tether project with a grant from the Department of Human Services.

The one-year project allowed district court judges in Oakland and Ostego counties the option of requiring tethers for domestic abusers.

Twelve defendants in Oakland County and one in Otsego County were put on tethers.

While the defendants wore the GPS tethers, none of their victims were harassed, threatened or attacked, a project report said. However, when some of the defendants were released from the tether, they resumed immediate contact with their victims.

The project concluded that if there is no behavior modification or reinforcing treatment while on the system, tethering will not have long-lasting benefits.

Other problems included equipment and monitoring failures and judges who wanted to use the tether as alternative to jail time, which was not allowed by the program.

Hagenian said, “For some of the victims, the tethers were very helpful, but they required a lot of victim participation. They had to say where they would be and notify those who monitored them of any change in locations. Also, for some, the warnings seemed to come too late.”

Technology has advanced since 2000, and the new system may not be as cumbersome for victims, she added.

“We need to keep the perpetrator away from the victims. The new legislation holds a lot of promise,” Hagenian said.

Caul has said the cost of a GPS tether - $17 a day to more than $50 a day - would be paid by the domestic abuser as part of the court order.

Similar legislation has been passed in Massachusetts, New York, Louisiana and Washington.