Senate Bill 1414, initially proposed by Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), aimed to make soliciting or engaging in commercial sex with a minor a felony, regardless of whether the buyer knew the victim’s age. It also called for strict sentencing and fines. Unfortunately, the Senate Public Safety Committee has made significant changes to the bill. These amendments have turned the crime into a “wobbler,” meaning it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, removed protections for 16 and 17-year-olds, and reduced penalties. You can watch the author’s passionate floor speech here.
The bill is set for a hearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, July 2. It’s crucial to restore SB 1414 to its original intent, protecting all minors and ensuring the punishment fits the crime. We need to not only contact the members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee (see below) but also pray. The Bible says, in Luke 18:1, that Jesus instructed us to always pray and not lose heart. Let’s commit to praying that the committee will restore the bill’s original goals for the sake of vulnerable youth.
Please call or email these committee members and ask them to amend the bill to its original intent and pass it to Assembly Appropriations.
- Assembly Member Kevin McCarty- Chair (D-District 06) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2006
- Assembly Member Juan Alanis-Vice-Chair (R-District 22) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2022
- Assembly Member Tom Lackey (R-District 34) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2034
- Assembly Member Stephanie Nguyen (D-District 10) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2010
- Assembly Member Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-District 50) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2050
- Assembly Member Philip Ting (D-District 19) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2019
- Assembly Member Lori Wilson (D-District 11) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2011
- Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur (D-District 51) – Online contact form | (916) 319-2051
Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and action,
Marlo Tucker
State Director