On Monday, a bill that would make human trafficking of a minor a serious felony in California passed the State Assembly in an 80-0 vote.
Under the bill, SB 14, which would include sex trafficking of minors in the lists of crimes that are defined as serious under California law, making the crime a strike under the Three Strikes law.
“We are one step closer to making the horrific crime of child sex trafficking a serious felony. SB 14 will increase jail time for repeat offenders who sell children for sex and commit the most heinous acts on our children. SB 14 will now move to the Senate floor for a concurrence vote before heading to the Governor’s desk for signature,” said Senator Shannon Grove, author of the bill.
The bill had previously been voted down in the Assembly Public Safety Committee after passing the State Senate in a 40-vote. When the bill was first rejected by the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Democrats in that committee received extreme backlash from local, state and national figures who questioned why those on the committee would reject a measure that had received unanimous support up to that point.
The bill was ultimately brought back moved forward in the process.
After the bill passed, Sacramento County Sheriff and former CA State Assemblymember Jim Cooper issued a statement regarding the public safety committee and a message to people preying on women and children.
“It’s about damn time. In my 8 years in the Legislature, I fought to make all violent crimes against women and children, like Human Trafficking, a serious felony. Those attempts were always shut down by the the public safety committee, denying every Assemblymember the chance to make a common sense vote like this one. My message as Sheriff: if you are a pimp preying on women and children, I will find you. I will put you in prison. And now, you’ll finally stay there,” said Cooper.
Gallagher Statement on Passage of Human Trafficking Bill
“It shouldn’t take nationwide outrage for Democrats to finally stand with victims.”
SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) issued the following statement on the passage of Senate Bill 14, which will classify sex trafficking of a child as a “serious” felony, making repeat offenders eligible for longer sentences:
“It’s appalling that we had to fight this hard to pass a common sense measure holding traffickers accountable for some of the most horrific crimes imaginable. It shouldn’t take nationwide outrage for Democrats to finally stand with victims. With today’s vote, we are one step closer to delivering justice, but the fight isn’t over. Assembly Republicans will continue working to put victims first and protect Californians from crime.”
Previous Stories:
- Sept. 2 : Human Trafficking Bill Passes Assembly Appropriations Committee
- Aug 16: Senator Grove’s Human Trafficking Bill Placed on Suspense
- July 13: Major Victory for Child Sex Trafficking Victims as Assembly Committee Reverses Course and Passes SB 14
- July 11: Bill to Fight Human Trafficking is Voted Down in the Assembly Public Safety Committee
- July 11: Human Trafficking Bill Killed by Assembly Public Safety Committee
- May 26: Grove’s Human Trafficking Bill Passed Senate Floor Unanimously
- April 26: Human Trafficking Bill Passes Senate Public Safety Committee
- Dec 6: Senator Shannon Grove Aims to Strengthen Human Trafficking Penalties
