California Senate Bill 1414 faces opposition from activists who claim it targets the LGBTQ community.
California Senate Bill 1414 is a bill that seeks to raise the penalties for soliciting a minor for sex to the status of a felony crime, punishable with up to four years in prison, and up to a $25,000.00 fine. The bill also requires that violators be required to register as sex offenders for ten years. Currently in California, it is a misdemeanor for anyone to solicit a minor for sex.
The bill was introduced in April by three state senators: Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), and Anna Caballero (D-Merced).
The bill is set to move on to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and California Democrats have already made amendments to the bill that creates exceptions for the penalties originally introduced. One of those in favor of the amendments was State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who argued that this bill was overly punitive. Sen. Grove was outraged at these amendments and stated that it will make it harder to protect children from sex-solicitation.
During a recent hearing in Sacramento on the bill’s future, activists arrived to give opposition to the bill, stating that it was overly punitive and systematically targeted members of the LGBTQ community.
One opposer stated, “We are particularly concerned that the harsher penalties proposed in this bill, will disproportionately affect marginalized communities, especially members of the LGBTQ community, who already suffer from systematic biases within the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to sexually-based offenses.”
She continued, “Studies have shown that LGBTQ people, particularly gay and transgenered individuals, are more likely to be charged with sex offenses compared to their heterosexual counterparts.”
Another opposing voice connected this issue of child prostitution with California’s black and brown population, stating, “We are concerned that the harsher penalties contained in this bill will disproportionately impact marginalized communities, particularly black and brown individuals who already bear the brunt of systemic biases within our criminal justice system.”
There were many who arrived to show support for Sen. Grove, and gave their voice in support of the bill in “in its original form.”
