(Headline USA) California Democrats were shamed into backtracking their opposition to legislation that would increase penalties for child traffickers.
Public pressure and social media disgust at the leftist attempt to go soft on child traffickers was so intense that it gave Republicans a rare win in the Democrat-run state legislature.
The bill by Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove would add child trafficking to a list of serious felonies in California. Anyone convicted of at least three serious felonies faces a prison sentence of between 25 years to life in prison under the state’s three strikes law.
The Democrats who control the Assembly Public Safety Committee decided not to advance the bill earlier this week. They opposed the bill in part because they oppose longer prison sentences, which they do not see as an effective deterrent of crime. They also worried the bill could inadvertently punish child trafficking victims with lengthy prison sentences.
Thursday, lawmakers allowed the Public Safety Committee to meet again. In a brief meeting, four Democrats — including chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer — joined Republicans to advance the bill out of the committee ahead of a legislative deadline.
The bill now must be vetted by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where Jones-Sawyer said he will ask for amendments to make sure victims of child trafficking are not penalized and that the legislation doesn’t disproportionately affect people of color.
“We shouldn’t be playing politics. We should be coming together — together — to move this forward so that everybody is safe,” Jones-Sawyer told reporters after the hearing and the public backlash. “I’m going to make a commitment to do everything in my power to get it on the governor’s desk so he can sign it.”
Republicans cheered the bill’s revival, with Grove calling it “a day for Californians to celebrate.” But she said she would not change the bill, especially since Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated his support for it and the state Senate already voted unanimously to pass it.
“There’s no reason to take amendments. It’s a very narrowly tailored bill addressing human trafficking of a minor child — selling a child for sex.” Grove said. “It needs to be passed as is.”
Grove said she had already made changes to the bill to address those concerns sought by the amendments.
“We don’t want anyone who’s a victim of a violent crime like human trafficking to be charged or put in prison for that,” she said. “That is not my intent. that is not what the bill says.”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
