SB 14 Human Trafficking Bill Advances

Did you know the sex trafficking of minors is not considered a serious crime in California?

Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) has made it her mission to change that.

Her bill SB 14 would make the crime a strike under the Three Strikes law, protecting the young from these perpetrators.

The bill has support from district attorneys, law enforcement, nonprofits and municipal and county officials but it hit a roadblock in July due to a 2-0 vote in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

Six Democrats did not vote.

Supporters pressed to have the entire Assembly vote on SB14, bypassing the Public Safety Committee, but Democrats declined.

In a rare move, the new Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, called for an emergency Public Safety Committee hearing to reconsider the bill where it passed July 13 with unanimous support.

Grove said SB 14 was carefully crafted to meet concerns of previous legislative efforts. It received unanimous support in the State Senate where it passed 40-0.

“This is a bill with strong bipartisan support, and protecting victims of child sex trafficking should not be a partisan issue, ” said Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), the bill author and champion of this issue. “ However, the battle is not over— SB 14 must still go through the Assembly Appropriations Committee when legislators return from Summer recess. I believe most Assembly Democrats want to vote for this bill if they are given a chance, and I am hopeful we can succeed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. I urge every Californian to stay engaged until the bill is signed into law.”

The Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear SB14 in mid to late August.

Former victims of trafficking, their families, advocates, and law enforcement are demanding action be taken against traffickers.

“Bipartisan outrage has finally forced Democrats to act,” said Assemblyman Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin). “This is a victory for regular Californians, but it doesn’t excuse Democrats’ repeated votes to kill commonsense legislation, including my AB 229, to hold traffickers accountable.”

When the bill was first rejected by the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Democrats in that committee received extreme backlash from local, state and national figures who questioned why those on the committee would reject a measure that had received unanimous support up to that point.

“In the end, my Democrat colleagues in the Assembly Public Safety Committee did the right thing and passed SB 14 that will make sure repeat offenders of child sex trafficking are held accountable,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego). “If it were not for the extraordinary pushback from figures around the state and nation, I fear the Democrats’ one-party rule and some of their radical ideologies would have prevailed. I’m grateful for the efforts of Senator Grove who has been a fearless leader on this issue and to my Senate Democrat colleagues who saw the need for this measure.”

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) said, “The choice here is clear: child sex traffickers or victims. Anyone who fails to support SB 14 is choosing the traffickers.”

“A child’s vulnerability is not meant to be a profitable transaction. I’m proud I was able to witness this bill passing the legislature today and hope that this will save children’s lives,” says Dominique Brown, human trafficking victim, who watched in the Assembly gallery. n •••

For information on SB 14, see https://sr12. senate.ca.gov/sb14

To view stories of survivors and advocates, see https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=26KVCcIGxCY

Spotlight Awards

The Santa Cruz County Parks Department announces an exhibition for the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission’s 2023 Spotlight Awards, which recognize individuals who have achieved a high degree of excellence and creativity in their work, but have not received widespread acknowledgment of their talent.

This year’s recipients: Kevin Painchaud (photojournalist), Heejin Lee (mixed-media artist), Augie Escobedo (painter/muralist), Nikia Chaney (writer/poet), and Madeline Aliah (writer/poet).

Each will show their work on the 5th floor of the County Government Center, 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, from Aug. 1 through Oct. 20.

A First Friday opening reception will be 5-7 p.m. Aug. 4. This annual award recognizes younger artists as well as those who discovering their artistic voice later in life. Spotlight awardees must live in Santa Cruz County. n