By Abdul Masih —
California Democrats have shown again why CrazyCalifornia is a hashtag, forcing out of a bill the part that would make it a felony to solicit a minor prostitute. To get a hearing, the bill’s sponsor had to strike that part out. It will remain a misdemeanor.
No one seems to know why certain Democrats wanted to keep the bar low for soliciting minors.
“In order to get a hearing on the bill, we were forced to remove the piece of the bill that ensures the crime of purchasing a minor for sex applies in all cases where the victim is under the age of 18,” said Maggy Krell, an Assembly Democrat.
“I wholeheartedly disagree with that amendment” to Assembly Bill 379, Krell added. “This has been my life’s work and I will continue to partner with sex trafficking survivors and law enforcement to ensure all minors are protected from the horrors of sex trafficking.”
The proposed laws aim at sex trafficking, but fellow Democrats in committee gutted the important provision. While Krell was left shaking her head, Republicans pounced. “Why are some @AssemblyDems planning to cut felony charges for adults who buy 16- and 17-year-olds for sex?,” California Assembly Republicans posted on X. “There are no excuses. Protect the kids. Not the predators.”
It’s hard to understand what could possibly be the motive to seemingly protect predators. At least with the case of the so-called Romeo and Juliet laws which downgrade sex with 16- and 17-year-old minors from statutory rape, there was some sort of explanation. What if Romeo falls in love with Juliet, both about the same age, and they do the married thing slightly before coming of age?
But this is not a Romeo romance. This is SOLICITING A PROSTITUTE. Quite different.
“Apparently, what they want to do is remove the 16- and 17-year-old portion of the bill and then just increase penalties and fines,” said Republican Assemblyman David Tangipa, who had a relative who was once trafficked. “What that actually sounds like is just California participating in the prostitution and the trafficking themselves.”
