California Democrats can’t seem to agree on whether people who solicit sex from 16- and 17-year-old children should be eligible for a felony charge, leading one Republican critic to accuse the Democrat-led legislature of lacking a “moral compass.”
On Thursday, after a heated debate on the Assembly floor, Democratic lawmakers agreed to strip a provision from Assembly Bill 379 that would have allowed for increased penalties for offenders who solicit or engage in prostitution with older teenagers, according to news reports. Democrats rejected a Republican effort to reintroduce the penalties, which were blocked by Democrats on the Public Safety Committee earlier this week.
Republican minority leader James Gallagher called the move by Democrats “crazy,” according to the Los Angeles Times. “Someone on this floor, give me an example, give me one good reason why we should treat [16- and 17-year-olds] differently. You can’t,” he said.
“This body needs a moral compass,” Gallagher added, according to Associated Press.
The issue is causing a rift between more moderate Democrats who support the tougher penalties and harder-left members who say the penalties could be used to target teens in LGBTQ and interracial relationships that family members don’t approve of.
AB 379 was initially sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Maggy Krell who wanted to expand on protections for minors included in a law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last year. That law allows people who solicit sex or engage in prostitution with kids 15 or younger to face either a misdemeanor or a felony, known as a “wobbler” offense.
Krell’s bill would have made that “increased punishment applicable to any solicitation of any person under 18 years of age,” according to language that has since been removed. Krell’s name has also been removed as a bill sponsor.
Newsom is supportive of tougher penalties. “The law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same — as a felony, regardless of the intended victim’s age. Full stop.” Newsom said in a statement, according to the Times.
Newsom’s wife and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis are also supportive of adding the additional protections for older teens, as is Christine Pelosi, the daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who took her party to task on X this week.
“As a mom of a 16-year-old child, I 100% believe it should be a felony to purchase one,” she wrote. “In what world do you think voters will trust a party that considers buying a 16-year-old to be ‘only’ a misdemeanor?”
Democrats who supported stripping the protections for 16 and 17-year-olds from the bill added language to say it is their “intent” to “to adopt the strongest laws to protect 16- and 17—year old victims and strengthen protections in support of survivors of human trafficking.”