Rose42

https://www.newsweek.com/california-democrats-block-bill-make-child-trafficking-serious-felony-1812674

A Democrat-majority committee in the California state assembly has declined to advance a bill that would make child trafficking a serious felony in the Golden State.

Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee decided not to advance the proposed legislation on Tuesday in a move that could mean the bill won't pass into law this year.

Republican Senator Shannon Grove introduced the bill, which passed with unanimous bipartisan support in the state Senate and would classify child trafficking as a serious felony, making that offense subject to the state's "three strikes rule."

Under that rule, a person convicted of at least three serious felonies is punished with a prison sentence of between 25 years and life.

The Public Safety Committee, which has a Democratic majority, declined to advance Senator Grove's bill—known as SB14—on Tuesday and some members expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the "three strikes rule" and longer sentences.

The committee, which has eight members, v**ed down the proposal with two Republican members v****g in favor and six Democrats abstaining.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is considered a possible future p**********l candidate, has weighed in on the matter and spoken to Grove by phone about the bill. He said on Wednesday that he was surprised about the committee's decision.

"I want to understand exactly what happened yesterday," Newsom told reporters. "I take it very seriously."

Senator Grove issued a statement on Tuesday saying: "After passing the Senate with a unanimous, bipartisan v**e, I had hoped Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee, led by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), would agree to make sex trafficking of a minor a serious felony."

"I am profoundly disappointed that committee Democrats couldn't bring themselves to support the bill, with their stubborn and misguided objection to any penalty increase regardless of how heinous the crime," she said.

Newsweek has reached out to Jones-Sawyer, chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, via email for comment.

Jones-Sawyer issued a statement on Tuesday about the committee's decision.

"The Three Strikes model of sentencing is ineffective in preventing crime and protecting the public's safety. We will not build on a deeply flawed sentencing system that unfairly punishes disadvantaged communities," the statement said.

"SB14 makes no new corrective actions or enhancements to laws already in place. Ultimately, members of the Assembly's Public Safety Committee understood the author's intent but recognized this bill needs considerable work and granted reconsideration," Jones-Sawyer's statement concluded.

"Longer sentences don't actually stop things from happening," said Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, a Democratic member of the committee, during Tuesday's hearing.

"All they do is increase our investment in systems of harm and subjugation at the expense of the investments that the communities need to not have this be a problem, to begin with," Bryan said.

Jones-Sawyer and Grove met on Wednesday afternoon in what she described as a "productive meeting" that ended without an agreement. Grove wants the bill to be v**ed on without changes.

"The bill needs to be brought to the Assembly floor," she said on Wednesday. "And it needs to be v**ed on as is."

Jim0001 Loc: originally from Tennessee, now Virginia, USA

If six abstained and three v**ed in favor, doesn't that mean 3 yes, 0 no, and six no v**es? Sounds like it should have passed anywhere except in California or another blue state. The six abstentions don't want to lose the p*******e v**e.

Proudconservative

I bet if it happened to one of their kids they would of v**ed for it. I wouldn't want to see this happen to anyone's child no matter what there parents party is, it sure would be a wake up call for them dems. But the children are more important than any damn party and they should be protected anyway we can and them blocking this bill is not protecting the children.