Update: SB 14 Sex Trafficking of a Minor

By Jondi Gumz

Why did all six Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee initially decline to advance SB14?

That’s the bill to make sex trafficking of a minor a serious crime that would count toward “three strikes.”

Currently it is not.

Republicans Juan Alanis and Tom Lackey were in favor but all six Democrats declined to advance the bill until -- with the leadership of Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, they changed their votes to keep the bill alive.

Ron Weitzer, professor emeritus at George Washington University and research associate at UC Santa Cruz, urged Aptos Times to contact the Democrats on the committee to explain their action.

He wrote: “Any reader of this (Aug. 1) article will ask, “Why?” “What’s wrong with the Democrats who have blocked the bill?”

If the author had taken the time to contact Democrats, I am sure they would have explained their actions to date.”

The Democrats on the Public Safety Committee are: Reginald Sawyer-Jones, Mia Bonta, Isaac Bryan, Liz Ortega, Miguel Santiago, Rick Chavez Zbur.

“Marinovich” from page 17

Do we eliminate Washington’s and Jefferson’s names from every school and structure? What about the colonizers who conquered what is now the United States of America? Manifest destiny? Our ancestors spread disease, raped, killed and stole the land of the First Nation Indians.

“Name Change” from page 17

The name change exploration process was led by a board task force: Christina Cuevas, Adam Spickler and the student trustee at the time.

The meeting room at the Horticulture Center was full of faculty members, staff, alumni and a few students while 105 people watched via Zoom.

And 162 people had emailed comments.

There were no microphones for speakers or trustees, so it was difficult for the audience to hear.

Board president Adam Spickler called out the names of speakers but their names could not always be heard.

Aptos Times called each office early in August to find out who would field a query on SB 14, with hopes of providing an update the Aug. 16 issue.

An email query was sent to these individuals before the summer break.

Of the six, Aptos Times heard back from one staffer, Vienna Montague, Communications Director for Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur.

Montague emailed: “Thank you for reaching out to our office. Unfortunately, Assemblymember Zbur is on vacation this week to spend some much-needed time with his family and is not taking any press requests until Monday, August 14. We do appreciate you reaching out to us, and please feel free to contact us in the future for any other requests you may have.”

In response to Aptos Times, Montague emailed: “I’ll go ahead and get this request in front of him next week and see if he has time before the final rush to get the bills out.”

On Aug. 15, Montague emailed, “Checking back in with you. Assemblymember Zbur is unable to make time for your request. Thank you so much for reaching out.”

On Aug. 4, ABC 7 San Francisco

You do not whitewash history. It is there to be read and analyzed, the good and the bad. Learn from it, don’t ignore it.

Cabrillo College is facing many challenges, including decreased enrollment, scaled back curriculum and financial challenges. There are more important issues than changing the name.

The Trustees actions do not represent

Spickler said the microphones didn’t work while Zoom was running.

Of the emails, Spickler said 60% were opposed, and 38% in favor of a name change.

Of those in the room who spoke, 13 were opposed or wanted a countywide vote and 29 supported the name change.

Spickler said this added up to 54% opposed and 45% in favor.

‘Aptos’ Most Popular

Asked about the result of the online survey, Spickler revealed Aptos was the most popular choice of the five finalists unveiled June 28, adding that in community forums, attendees switched from Aptos to other names as a favorite.

“I’m not sure about the results,” Spickler said.

reported that the FBI, along with Bay Area county district attorneys announced a human trafficking bust that rescued 200 victims, including 59 minors.

“Operation Cross Country, a nationwide effort to combat human trafficking, resulted in the identification or arrest of more than five dozen suspected human traffickers and more than 100 individuals accused of child sexual exploitation. Seventeen individual operations were recently conducted over a two-week period. Locally, agents arrested nine offenders. Three Bay Area juvenile victims were recovered and another was identified.

“… The FBI says the operation successfully rescued a total of 200 victims of human trafficking and located 59 minor victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton says California consistently leads all other states in reports of human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, accounting for 13% of all reports in the last year.”

In California airports, travelers see signs asking them to report suspicious activity.On Aug. 16, the author of SB 14, Sen. Shannon the community (taxpayers) as a whole, and certainly not the alumni of Cabrillo. This is an ill-advised undertaking that should be shelved.

Our community appreciates Cabrillo College. I for one use Cabrillo’s facilities 3-4 times a week. I had a great experience at Cabrillo Community College and it allowed me to further my education at UCLA. It is a huge asset to our community.

Dan Rothwell, retired after 47 years on the Cabrillo faculty, made the motion to defer, saying there is a faulty “perception that we are trying to ram this through.”

He added, “I’m very concerned ... we don’t have the money to pay for the name change. We need to concentrate on that.”

The name change expenses are estimated at $250,000 to $500,000. Cabrillo President Matthew Wetstein has promised that will not come out of the college budget.

Steve Trujillo noted Aptos means “the people” for the Amah Mutsun, the indigenous people who lived along Monterey Bay before the European explorers and the Catholic padres arrived.

“An excellent choice,” he said.

Martha Vega, who was appointed this

Grove, R-Bakersfield, announced the bill was moved to the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s suspense file.

The Appropriations suspense file is a procedure where a bill with a fiscal impact of more than $150,000 is held by the committee chair while considerations are made if it should be passed or retained based on the cost. The bill will remain on the suspense file until a hearing on Sept. 1.

Assembly member Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, is the chair.

“As the Appropriations Committee is evaluating the cost of incarcerating traffickers, I hope they will also take into account the basic services associated with the life-long rehabilitation of victims and survivors of this brutal crime,” Grove said, noting 22 arrests for trafficking during a sweep in Kern County. “There is no price tag that can be placed on a victim of human trafficking, especially a child.”

She said the bipartisan measure is coauthored by 60 members of the Legislature, including 46 Assemblymembers. n •••

As the Democrats explain their positions, Aptos Times will provide the explanations to our readers.

I appreciate the history of Cabrillo, both the good and bad.

I appreciate the history of Aptos, its indigenous people and tribes. This area has a rich and fascinating history of ethnic people. Keep the name Cabrillo. Cabrillo Community College is a respected educational institution and a valued part of our community. Don’t erase history, learn from it. n year to represent Watsonville, did not vote on the motion three years ago to study the name change.

A teacher, she found it difficult to squeeze out time to listen to task force discussions from noon to 1 p.m. online.

She said some of her constituents oppose the name change, some support it and some want it to go on the ballot.

“We need to include all cultures,” she said.

Rachael Spencer said, “The process did not engage the community... You do not change people’s minds by being bullied.”

Christina Cuevas said, “We want time to explore it more.”

Spickler wanted to “better engage the wider stakeholder community.” n