California Democrats made changes to a bipartisan anti-sex trafficking bill, SB 1414, that would have made it a felony for people to purchase sex with minors. The amendments added by Democrats made the charges applicable only if the child is younger than 15, which greatly weakened the original bill. Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove, the lead author of the bill, criticized the changes, saying they “mutilated” the bill. The original bill aimed to toughen the punishment for child trafficking and require offenders to register as sex offenders, regardless of whether they knew the child’s age.
The amendments added by Democrats caused concern among public safety committee Democrats, who believed the bill was too broad and would criminalize young adults in consensual relationships with minors. Under current sex offender laws in California, judges decide whether an adult engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor between the ages of 14 and 17 should be placed on the sex offender registry. Grove emphasized that the bill targeted commercial sex purchases, not consensual relationships. The current penalty for soliciting a child for sex in California is a $10,000 fine and two days to a year in a county jail.
Despite opposition from Grove, Democrats on the public safety committee pushed the amendments through in a 4-0 vote, skipping a procedural vote to address the amendments first. Grove expressed her displeasure with the amendments, calling them “completely unacceptable.” She acknowledged that her goal was to continue amending the bill to address the issue of child trafficking, while Democrats appeared intent on making the bill undesirable and preventing it from being passed. Grove remained committed to fighting for amendments that would strengthen the bill and provide better protection for minors.
During the hearing, concerns were raised about the broad scope of the bill, with some Democrats arguing that it could lead to unnecessary arrests and harsh punishments for individuals not involved in trafficking. Sen. Scott Wiener expressed concerns about the bill potentially sending people to state prison and labeling them as sex offenders, which could severely impact their lives. Grove refused to accept the amendment limiting the law’s applicability only to children under 15 but did offer to amend the bill to remove the requirement for first-time offenders to be placed on the sex offender registry.
In addition to SB 1414, earlier this month, Democrats blocked another bill, SB 1219, that aimed to recriminalize street loitering for the purpose of prostitution. The bill would have reinstated a provision that prohibited loitering in a public place, but Democrats on the committee prevented its passage. These actions by California Democrats have sparked controversy and raised questions about their approach to addressing issues related to sex trafficking and prostitution. Despite these setbacks, Sen. Grove remains determined to continue working on the bill and fighting for amendments that will strengthen protections for minors and target those involved in commercial sex trafficking.
