In what may have seemed like whiplash in Sacramento, Sen. Shannon Grove’s bill to make child sex trafficking a three strikes law was reconsidered and passed by a key Assembly committee on Thursday.
Senate Bill 14 passed on a 6-0 vote with 2 abstentions after failing Tuesday and sparking an outcry that included Gov. Gavin Newsom and national commentators.
“Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee today reconsidered the merits of Senate Bill 14 and voted to let it out of committee,” said Grove after the vote.
“This is a bill with strong bipartisan support, and protecting victims of child sex trafficking should not be a partisan issue. Today is a victory for every survivor,” she said.
The legislation would make California’s existing three strikes law apply to anyone who has been found guilty multiple times of trafficking someone under the age of 17. The offender could be charged with a third strike, which means the trafficker would face a lifetime prison sentence.
The bill must still make it through the Assembly Appropriations Committee when legislators return in mid August from summer recess, and then a vote by the full Assembly.
“I believe most Assembly Democrats want to vote for this bill if they are given a chance,” said Grove. “I urge every Californian to stay engaged until the bill is signed into law.”
Grove is a Republican, but her bill received unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate.
The measure is coauthored by 34 members of the Legislature and supported by a coalition of human trafficking survivors, advocates, local, national and international organizations.
Across the state hundreds of activists and law enforcement involved in fighting sex trafficking began celebrating what they are calling a “miracle” and “wonderful news.”
In San Diego, the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition’s executive director Marisa Ugarte was just as enthused about the developments in Sacramento.
“I couldn’t believe the committee voted it down. I felt like throwing in the towel,” Ugarte said. “When I learned it was alive again, I was overjoyed. “
“This is the important; it’s the smart way to punish pimps for selling minors,” she said.
J.W. August contributed to this article.