A bill that aimed to classify trafficking a minor as a "serious felony" was blocked by a Democrat-led committee in the California State Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill, known as SB 14, had already received unanimous approval from the State Senate. Introduced by Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), the bill highlighted California's leading position in reported cases of human trafficking of minors.
If passed, the bill would have made trafficking a minor ineligible for plea bargaining in most cases and would have included the crime under the state's "Three Strikes" law, potentially resulting in life imprisonment after three felonies.
However, the Public Safety Committee, headed by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-South Los Angeles), declined to advance the bill. It is worth noting that Jones-Sawyer is also the author of a bill that seeks to address racial bias in the criminal justice system through the use of criminal sentencing.
Expressing her disappointment, Grove stated, "After passing the Senate with a unanimous, bipartisan vote, I had hoped Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee, led by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, would agree to make sex trafficking of a minor a serious felony."
She further criticized the committee's objection to any penalty increase, regardless of the severity of the crime, describing it as "stubborn and misguided."
Grove emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue, stating that human trafficking of children disproportionately affects minority girls and that California's lenient penalties make it a hotbed for such crimes.
She warned that trafficked children in California will continue to be victimized until action is taken by Assembly Democrats.
The bill, SB 14, was voted down in the Assembly Public Safety Committee, with six Democrats abstaining and two Republicans voting in favor.
However, there is still a possibility for reconsideration, meaning the bill could potentially pass in the future.
The prevalence of human trafficking is highlighted in the independent film "Sound of Freedom," which has gained significant attention at the box office, surpassing recent mainstream Hollywood releases.
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