It’s hard to feel very much sympathy for the thousands of sex offenders who are going to have to pony up a few dollars in a one-time payment to the state, courtesy of a new law that’s going into effect next month.

The $50 fee will be used to cover the estimated $600,000 the Michigan State Police spend each year maintaining the state sex offender database, which currently contains about 40,000 names.

The fee will start April 1. In November, Gov. Rick Snyder inked the enabling legislation into law.

The original bill was sponsored by state Sen. Rick Jones, a Republican who represents downstate Allegan, Eaton and Barry counties.

The law only applies to registered sex offenders who are out of prison. People who prove that they are indigent can get a fee waiver, The Associated Press reported.

Snyder noted the law brings Michigan in line with neighboring states that require sex offenders to pay for the operating cost of sex offender websites. And we agree.

The amount of money isn’t enough to overly stress anyone.