And that’s where the bill appeared to die until the chairman, Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), got a wake-up call from Newsom, Rivas and many angry voters.įor years, that committee has been a deathbed for sentence-stiffening bills. Next stop: The Assembly Public Safety Committee. Originally, she wanted to apply the stiffer sentences to all sex trafficking, regardless of the victims’ ages. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), compromised with Democrats and amended the bill to apply only to trafficking of kids under 18. That was made possible because the author, Sen. The measure was placed on what’s called the “consent calendar,” the soft landing place for bipartisan bills that are so noncontroversial dozens are routinely passed simultaneously en masse. In fact, both parties agreed not to even bother with a floor debate and roll-call vote. The bill was such a no-brainer that all 40 senators voted for it. The significance of labeling a felony “serious” is that it subjects the criminal to California’s “three strikes” law, which can substantially lengthen prison time for repeat offenders. SB 14 would officially designate it as “serious” when children are peddled. Sex trafficking now is considered a non-serious felony.
