After rejecting a proposal to stiffen penalties for repeat sex trafficking of minors, a decision that triggered bipartisan outrage in the state Capitol, California Democrats on a high-profile policy committee frantically backpedaled to save face. According to local media, no Democrats on the committee voted for the bill. Both Republican assemblymen on the committee — Tom Lackey and GOP Vice Chair Juan Alanis — voted to advance the bill.
California $u<k$
— Jeanette Lenzini (@JeanettePatriot) July 12, 2023
All Democrats and are in the California State Assembly
Mia Bonita 18th District
Issac Bryan 55th District
Liz Ortega 20th District
Miguel Santiago 54th District
Rick Chavez Zbur 51st District
Reginald Jones-Sawyer 59th District pic.twitter.com/ZlUnsHI1RW
Senate Bill 14, which would add human trafficking of a minor for sex to the list of “serious felonies” under California’s penal code, was sailing through the Legislature with bipartisan support all year until Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee struck it down Tuesday amid concerns that it would penalize victims and worsen incarceration rates. Serious felony charges under California law currently include murder, rape and any other crime that may incur the death penalty or life sentence in state prison.
Do you know what the average age of a minor sex trafficked in California? Its 10 YEARS OLD! Below are a list of democrats in our state that voted against mandatory sentencing for human trafficking of minors. One is the wife of Rob Bonta our Attorney General! @RobBonta
— Joey – Master of Wit and Sarcasm (@jjstyx) July 13, 2023
Reginald…
Chaos erupted in the Democratic-controlled Legislature after the committee’s vote, with Republican lawmakers blaming Democrats for failing to crack down on child sex trafficking and Democrats blaming Republicans for failing to address the root causes of crime. More at LATimes.
On Tuesday, I made a bad decision. Voting against legislation targeting really bad people who traffic children was wrong.
— Assemblymember Liz Ortega (@AsmLizOrtega) July 13, 2023
I regret doing that and I am going to help get this important legislation passed into law.
Heartfelt regret or Optics? She has prior…
FLASHBACK: Democrat Rep. Liz Ortega says sending people to prison will not help with human trafficking
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 14, 2023
"Sending someone to prison for the rest of their lives is not going to fix the harm moving forward." pic.twitter.com/a7m1DKzoGP