California Assembly Committee Blocks Legislation to Make Trafficking Minors Serious Felony

The California Assembly Public Safety Committee blocked legislation to make trafficking minors a “serious felony.”

Individuals convicted of child trafficking in California would potentially face life in prison if the bill had passed the legislature.

“The Assembly Public Safety Committee blocks SB 14, which would have made human trafficking of a minor a serious felony in California,” said California Capitol Correspondent Ashley Zavala.

Someone yelled “horrible” as victims sobbed.

“The bill had cleared the Senate with bipartisan support,” Zavala added.

JUST IN: The Assembly Public Safety Committee blocks SB 14, which would have made human trafficking of a minor a serious felony in California.

"HORRIBLE" was yelled at the dais as victim sobs.

The bill had cleared the Senate with bipartisan support. https://t.co/2xIsoV7vhi

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) July 11, 2023

Six committee members did not vote on the bill, effectively killing it.

Republican Assemblymen Tom Lackey and Juan Alanis voted yes on the measure.

Today, California killed SB 14 that would have classified the trafficking of minors as a serious felony.

Republicans @TomLackey36 and @JuanAlanisCA were the ONLY on the committee to vote in favor of this absolutely common sense bill.

The other 6 elected public servants wiped… pic.twitter.com/GhskbNtjQh

— rooted.wings (@BrittRooted) July 11, 2023

“You know you’re on the wrong side of an issue when you deliver a win for human traffickers. Democrats on the Public Safety Committee proved they have no intention of protecting the lives of Californians, let alone protecting innocent children from the horrors of human trafficking,” said California GOP chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson.

Patterson called the action from California Democrats “heartless” and “disgusting.”

🚨 The @CA_Dem controlled Assembly Public Safety Committee led by @JonesSawyerAD57 just shot down Senator @ShannonGroveCA’s bill to hold human traffickers accountable for endangering the lives of innocent children.

Absolutely disgusting.

— CAGOP (@CAGOP) July 11, 2023

“The message was received loud and clear again today that California is the premier state for criminals to thrive,” Patterson said.

Today, @CA_Dem @GavinNewsom actually took the sides of human traffickers and a Manson family murderer over public safety and California victims.

Read our latest and Chairwoman Jessica @MillanPatterson's full statement on California Dems giving California criminals plenty to… pic.twitter.com/wLFHdBhgnM

— CAGOP (@CAGOP) July 12, 2023

Fox News reports:

According to local news, no Democrats on the committee voted for the bill. Both Republican assemblymen — Assemblyman Tom Lackey — voted yes on the bill. The GOP vice chair of the committee, Assemblyman Juan Alanis, stepped out of the committee room to tend to other business but returned to vote on the measure.

S.B. 14 was given reconsideration, meaning it could be taken up again by the California Assembly next year.

S.B. 14 cleared the California Senate unanimously with bipartisan support in May.

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Meanwhile, in Florida, Attorney General Ashley Moody is demanding Mark Zuckerberg explain the high volume of human trafficking across Meta platforms after an eerie report revealed pedophiles are using the metaverse to sexually exploit children.

“We surveyed Florida law enforcement agencies and requested documented instances since 2019 in which social media may have been used to facilitate human trafficking, including recruitment, trafficking operations or control over the victim. We also asked those agencies to identify which social media platforms were used,” a letter from Moody to Zuckerberg states.

“According to the survey, 146 of the 271 reported instances of social media platform use in human trafficking were attributable to Meta platforms (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger), more than 53% of the reported instances involved,” the letter continues.

Mark Zuckerberg Called to Speak Before Human Trafficking Council