California Democrats have finally been forced into passing a common-sense bill against child sex trafficking, after initially trying to water it down to protect predators.
At a Glance
- California Assembly unanimously passed bill AB 379 making it a felony to purchase minors aged 17 or younger for sex
- Democrats initially resisted and tried to amend the bill before public backlash forced them to support it
- The legislation includes increased felony punishments, fines for enabling businesses, and creates a Survivor Support Fund
- The bill now moves to the Senate and, if passed, will go to Governor Gavin Newsom for final approval
Democrats Forced to Cave on Child Sex Trafficking Bill
In what can only be described as a reluctant act of basic human decency, California Democrats have finally stopped fighting against a bill that makes it a felony to purchase children for sex. Assembly Bill 379, which establishes that buying minors aged 17 or younger for sex is a felony offense, passed the Assembly with 72 votes in favor and zero against. But make no mistake – this wasn’t because Democrats suddenly grew a conscience. No, this happened because they were dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing after public outrage reached a fever pitch.
The fact that this bill faced any resistance at all from California’s Democratic supermajority should tell you everything you need to know about the state of politics in the Golden State. What kind of twisted logic leads elected officials to hesitate on legislation that protects children from sex trafficking? Only in California would lawmakers need to be pressured into supporting what should be a universally accepted principle: children shouldn’t be bought and sold for sex, and those who do so should face serious consequences.
Republicans Score a Rare Victory in Deep-Blue California
The passage of AB 379 represents a significant political win for Assembly Republicans and the California GOP, who managed to effectively control the narrative and force Democrats into an uncomfortable position. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and other Democratic leaders faced blistering criticism for initially opposing or attempting to water down the bill. In typical fashion, these same Democrats had the audacity to run misleading advertisements attacking Republicans on child safety issues while simultaneously working to block legislation that would actually protect minors from sexual exploitation.
“BREAKING NEWS: moments ago, we forced CA Assembly Democrats to cave in to public pressure and finally pass AB 379 to make it a felony to purchase a 16 or 17 year old minor for sex. Thank you to all who helped us achieve this big victory!” – Denise Aguilar.
Key amendments to the bill include increased felony punishment for offenders, particularly “if the solicited minor was more than 3 years younger than the defendant at the time of the offense.” The legislation also criminalizes loitering with the intent to purchase someone for commercial sex and increases fines for businesses that allow such crimes on their premises. A portion of these funds will go toward creating a Survivor Support Fund to help victims rebuild their lives – something that should have been in place decades ago.
Bipartisan Effort Overcomes Initial Democrat Resistance
State Senator Shannon Grove, a Republican from Bakersfield, co-authored Assembly Bill 379 with Democrat Maggy Krell to close a glaring loophole in California law that previously excluded 16- and 17-year-old victims from certain protections. It’s absolutely mind-boggling that such an oversight existed in the first place. Are we really supposed to believe that 16-year-olds sold into sex slavery were somehow less deserving of the full protection of the law than younger victims? This is the kind of nonsensical legal gap that thrives in progressive legal frameworks.
“We want to send a clear message to California, all of Californians, that if you buy or sell children for sex, we want you removed from society, and we want you to pay a hefty fine.” – Sen. Shannon Grove.
The bill still faces potential challenges in the Senate, particularly from Senator Scott Weiner, who has consistently positioned himself against parental rights legislation. It’s almost certain that some progressive lawmakers will try to weaken the bill or insert some ideological poison pills as it makes its way through the legislative process. If it manages to survive unscathed and reaches Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, he has indicated he will sign it – a rare moment of clarity from an administration more often concerned with protecting criminal aliens than protecting California’s children.
