After a child sex trafficking bill was killed by the Assembly Public Safety Committee July 11, pressure from the public, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and the governor led to an abrupt about-face July 13, with the committee passing the measure in a tense, one-minute meeting.
Following a contentious debate on the floor about how to proceed, a change to the rules was made that allowed the committee to meet and reconsider Senate Bill 14—authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield)—which would strengthen sentencing guidelines for those convicted of repeatedly sexually trafficking children.
