SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
State lawmakers in a key committee on Wednesday placed a proposal that would classify child sex trafficking as a “serious felony” in California onto a list of bills that are either passed or blocked without public discussion.
The bill’s author, Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, tried but was unsuccessful in swaying the committee to pass the bill Wednesday and keep it off the suspense file.
Grove also brought two child sex trafficking victims to the hearing to help make her case, including Briana Moseley, who said her sister died after struggling with mental health issues after being brutally raped by her trafficker and his friends. Mosley said the trafficker walks free.
“These young people’s lives are priceless. Their traffickers should not be valued more than the victims,” Mosley said.
Classifying child sex trafficking as a serious felony under California law would make it a strikable offense, meaning repeat offenders or those who have committed other strikable offenses could face more time in prison. Grove has said the purpose of the measure is to prevent repeat child sex traffickers from being released from prison early.
The measure is more than halfway through the legislative process and cleared the State Senate unanimously earlier this year. The bill has had a rocky start since it reached the Assembly this summer. Lawmakers in the Assembly Public Safety Committee were forced to reverse their decision to block the bill after facing intense backlash from the public and some Democratic state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.
On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union’s lobbying arm in California argued the measure could criminalize child sex trafficking victims and require more funding for the state’s prison system, echoing the concerns of some progressive Democratic lawmakers.
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Article URL : https://www.kcra.com/article/california-child-sex-trafficking-bill-felony-hurdle/44834358