California Assembly Public Safety committee forced to pass child sex trafficking bill

RIVERS OF A DECISION FOLLOWING INTENSE PRESSURE FROM STATE LEADERS AND PUBLIC OUTRAGE, A KEY GROUP OF LAWMAKERS CHANGING THEIR MINDS TODAY ON A PROPOSED CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING LAW. ON TUESDAY, THE DEMOCRAT LED STATE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE BLOCKED A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE THAT CRIME A SERIOUS FELONY. WELL, TODAY, STATE LEADERS FORCED THE GROUP INTO AN EMERGENCY HEARING TO MOVE IT FORWARD. HELLO, I’M GULSTAN DART. I’M LISA GONZALES. KCRA THREE CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. AND ASHLEY, WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT? IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’VE DONE SOME BACKTRACKING. YEAH. LISA I MEAN, THERE WAS PUBLIC OUTRAGE, THERE WAS SERIOUS POLITICAL BLOWBACK, INCLUDING FROM GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM, WHO STOOD UP YESTERDAY AND ADVOCATED FOR THIS PROPOSAL THAT WAS WRITTEN BY A REPUBLICAN. THE COMMITTEE’S INITIAL DECISION SHOCKED MANY BECAUSE THIS BILL HAD BROAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FROM BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. IT CLEARED THE STATE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY BEFORE ALL OF THIS DRAMA. TODAY, THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO APPROVE IT. JOHN SAWYER, IN A FORCED EMERGENCY MEETING, THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE PASSED A BILL TO MAKE SELLING A CHILD FOR IN CALIFORNIA, THE STATE MEASURE PASSED SELLING OUR CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE AN OPTION IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND TODAY I JUST I AM EXCITED THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE RECONSIDERED THE BILL. REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR SHANNON GROVE WROTE THE MEASURE THAT PREVENTS REPEAL CHILD TRAFFICKERS FROM GETTING OUT OF PRISON EARLY AND SUBJECT TO HARSHER SENTENCES IF THEY CONTINUE TO COMMIT THE CRIME. THE COMMITTEE’S LEADER SAYS THE BILL STILL NEEDS WORK. I’M TRYING TO GET TO A PERFECT BILL, SO THAT WE’RE ABLE TO TO HELP THESE YOUNG WOMEN IN A WAY THAT’S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. GOOD MORNING. NEITHER ASSEMBLYMAN REGGIE JONES SAWYER NOR ANY OTHER DEMOCRAT ON THE COMMITTEE WAS WILLING TO VOTE FOR THE BILL DAYS AGO. BUT FOLLOWING INTENSE BIPARTISAN BACKLASH, APPROVED THE MEASURE SIX TO NOTHING THURSDAY, MAY 2ND DEMOCRATS, ASSEMBLY MEMBERS MIA BONTA AND ISAAC BRYAN STILL ABSTAINED WITH CONCERNS THE BILL COULD CRIMINALIZE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS. WE DON’T WANT ANY ONE WHO’S A VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME LIKE HUMAN TRAFFICKING CAN BE CHARGED OR PUT IN PRISON FOR THAT. THAT IS NOT MY INTENT. THAT IS NOT WHAT THE BILL SAYS. MY TRAFFICKER, HE DID GET LOCKED UP FIVE YEARS AND THEN HE GETS OUT AND HE’S STILL, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT. DOMINIQUE BROWN WAS ONCE A TRAFFICKING VICTIM. NOW SHE’S HELPING DOZENS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ALSO VICTIMS FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY. THE YOUNGEST, SHE SAYS, IS 11 YEARS OLD. I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN THEY CAN FEEL SAFE AGAIN, KNOWING AND THE TRAFFICKER KNOWS LIKE THAT OUR KIDS ARE OFF LIMITS. THIS BILL KNOWING LIKE YOU CAN SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN JAIL IF YOU COME FOR OUR CHILDREN. IS A GAME CHANGER. THE BILL HAS A COUPLE OF MORE STEPS BEFORE IT CAN BECOME STATE LAW. IT NOW HEADS TO THE ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. LAWMAKERS TODAY BROKE FOR SUMMER RECESS. THEY WILL BE BACK IN AUGUST. THAT’S WHEN DISCUSSIONS ON THIS WILL PICK BACK UP. BACK TO YOU. ASHLEY, THANK YOU. AND IF THE BILL CLEARS ALL OF ITS HURDLES BEFORE SEPTEM

Days after facing political blowback for blocking a bill that would have classified child sex trafficking as a serious felony in California, the state's Assembly Public Safety Committee was forced on Thursday to hold a special hearing to vote on the bill again and approve it. The measure passed 6-0, with two Democrats, Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Isaac Bryan, not voting. "Selling our children in the state of California should not be an option, and I’m excited the public safety committee reconsidered the bill," said State Senator Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, the author of the bill. Grove said on Thursday morning, the measure picked up 18 new coauthors, most of them Democrats. The move comes after the Democratic-led committee and Assembly faced backlash from the public and Democratic state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, for halting the measure that aims to prevent repeat child sex traffickers from getting released from prison early. The measure is halfway through the legislative process and passed the California Senate unanimously with broad, bipartisan support. | PREVIOUS COVERAGE IN VIDEO ABOVE | Blocked child sex trafficking bill puts key California committee under fireDemocratic Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, who is also one of six Democrats on the committee who refused to vote for the bill on earlier this week, moved to waive rules on the Assembly floor Thursday morning that forced the committee to hear the bill again immediately. Bryan said he didn't vote on the bill because he has concerns it would criminalize trafficking victims. "The people most vulnerable to being charged with trafficking are the victims of trafficking themselves," Bryan tweeted. "Charges are used to leverage their cooperation in prosecution and their survivor status is erased with many currently incarcerated in both youth and adult prisons." Grove responded to the criticism, noting she has changed the bill several times to appease similar concerns held by Democrats in the State Senate, which ultimately approved the bill. "We don’t want anyone who is a victim of violent crime like human trafficking to be charged or put in prison for that, that is not my intent, that is not what the bill says," Grove said. Democratic Assemblymember Liz Ortega tweeted early Thursday morning that she made a mistake not voting for the bill earlier this week. "I made a bad decision. Voting against legislation targeting really bad people who traffic children was wrong. I regret doing that and I am going to help get this important legislation passed into law," Ortega wrote. Republican lawmakers in the Assembly attempted to pull the bill out of the committee and force a floor vote on the measure Thursday. Democrats countered, claiming if the bill were to reach the floor and bypass the Appropriations Committee, the measure may not be fully funded. "It should not be this hard to pass good, common-sense policy that protects our children," said Assembly Republican Minority Leader, James Gallagher. | MORE | Key California Assembly committee blocks bill to make child trafficking a 'serious felony'The last-minute hearing marks the second time the committee's chairman, Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, has been forced to reverse course on his decision making as the leader of the powerful policy committee. Assembly leadership earlier this year forced the committee to have a hearing on a set of fentanyl-related bills after he initially announced he would not hear them. Despite voting for the child trafficking measure Thursday, Jones-Sawyer said the bill still needs work. "I'm trying to get to a perfect bill so that we're able to help these young women in a way that's never been done before," he said. Child trafficking a growing problem in CaliforniaThe measure is supported by Sacramento County Sheriff and former Democratic Assemblyman Jim Cooper, who has said human trafficking has exploded exponentially in the last three decades that he's been in law enforcement. Cooper blames laws passed out of the state capitol that don't hold traffickers accountable. "We've had several arrests recently. We had three young girls, two 16-year-olds and a 13 year old who we rescued and we're right now trying to prosecute their trafficker," Cooper told KCRA 3 Thursday morning. "The issue with that is, under California law, he's only going to do half his time for a life sentence, which is mind boggling in itself." Dominique Brown, a former trafficking victim, was inside the state capitol Thursday when the Assembly Public Safety Committee reversed its decision. She said ten years ago, her trafficker was let out of prison after serving five years and attempted to contact her. Brown, who now works with child trafficking victims in Fresno, said she, too has seen a growing number of those affect by the crime. She said she is currently working with 40 children who are victims of trafficking, the youngest is 11 years old. She applauded the bill's passage. "The trafficker knows kids are off limits," she said. "This bill, knowing you can spend the rest of your life in jail if you come for our children, is a game changer."

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The measure passed 6-0, with two Democrats, Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Isaac Bryan, not voting.

"Selling our children in the state of California should not be an option, and I’m excited the public safety committee reconsidered the bill," said State Senator Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, the author of the bill. Grove said on Thursday morning, the measure picked up 18 new coauthors, most of them Democrats.

The move comes after the Democratic-led committee and Assembly faced backlash from the public and Democratic state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, for halting the measure that aims to prevent repeat child sex traffickers from getting released from prison early. The measure is halfway through the legislative process and passed the California Senate unanimously with broad, bipartisan support.

Meanwhile, @ShannonGroveCA says she picked up 18 coauthors on the bill in the Assembly, most of them Democrats.
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) July 13, 2023

| PREVIOUS COVERAGE IN VIDEO ABOVE | Blocked child sex trafficking bill puts key California committee under fire

Democratic Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, who is also one of six Democrats on the committee who refused to vote for the bill on earlier this week, moved to waive rules on the Assembly floor Thursday morning that forced the committee to hear the bill again immediately.

Bryan said he didn't vote on the bill because he has concerns it would criminalize trafficking victims.

"The people most vulnerable to being charged with trafficking are the victims of trafficking themselves," Bryan tweeted. "Charges are used to leverage their cooperation in prosecution and their survivor status is erased with many currently incarcerated in both youth and adult prisons."

Grove responded to the criticism, noting she has changed the bill several times to appease similar concerns held by Democrats in the State Senate, which ultimately approved the bill.

"We don’t want anyone who is a victim of violent crime like human trafficking to be charged or put in prison for that, that is not my intent, that is not what the bill says," Grove said.

Democratic Assemblymember Liz Ortega tweeted early Thursday morning that she made a mistake not voting for the bill earlier this week.

"I made a bad decision. Voting against legislation targeting really bad people who traffic children was wrong. I regret doing that and I am going to help get this important legislation passed into law," Ortega wrote.

Republican lawmakers in the Assembly attempted to pull the bill out of the committee and force a floor vote on the measure Thursday. Democrats countered, claiming if the bill were to reach the floor and bypass the Appropriations Committee, the measure may not be fully funded.

"It should not be this hard to pass good, common-sense policy that protects our children," said Assembly Republican Minority Leader, James Gallagher.

| MORE | Key California Assembly committee blocks bill to make child trafficking a 'serious felony'

The last-minute hearing marks the second time the committee's chairman, Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, has been forced to reverse course on his decision making as the leader of the powerful policy committee. Assembly leadership earlier this year forced the committee to have a hearing on a set of fentanyl-related bills after he initially announced he would not hear them.

Despite voting for the child trafficking measure Thursday, Jones-Sawyer said the bill still needs work.

"I'm trying to get to a perfect bill so that we're able to help these young women in a way that's never been done before," he said.

Child trafficking a growing problem in California

The measure is supported by Sacramento County Sheriff and former Democratic Assemblyman Jim Cooper, who has said human trafficking has exploded exponentially in the last three decades that he's been in law enforcement.

Cooper blames laws passed out of the state capitol that don't hold traffickers accountable.

"We've had several arrests recently. We had three young girls, two 16-year-olds and a 13 year old who we rescued and we're right now trying to prosecute their trafficker," Cooper told KCRA 3 Thursday morning. "The issue with that is, under California law, he's only going to do half his time for a life sentence, which is mind boggling in itself."

Dominique Brown, a former trafficking victim, was inside the state capitol Thursday when the Assembly Public Safety Committee reversed its decision. She said ten years ago, her trafficker was let out of prison after serving five years and attempted to contact her.

Brown, who now works with child trafficking victims in Fresno, said she, too has seen a growing number of those affect by the crime. She said she is currently working with 40 children who are victims of trafficking, the youngest is 11 years old. She applauded the bill's passage.

"The trafficker knows kids are off limits," she said. "This bill, knowing you can spend the rest of your life in jail if you come for our children, is a game changer."

California Assembly Public Safety committee forced to pass child sex trafficking bill

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Child trafficking a growing problem in California

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