Protecting the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society is our job as legislators.
As vice-chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I proudly joined legislators from across the aisle to do just that.
California’s Senate Bill 1322 recognized exploited children involved in sex trafficking for what they truly are: victims, not criminals.
Some world-class word-gymnastics were recently performed by SB 1322’s critics to suggest that SB 1322 legalized child prostitution. To be kind, that is incorrect.
Instead of jailing victims, SB 1322 allows law enforcement to get the child medical care if needed, attempt to reunite her with her parents, or place her in the care of the county welfare department.
Critics argue that without the threat of jail time, children won’t complete the rehabilitation services offered to them, and that they may be a threat to other kids in group homes.
But in California, minors cannot legally consent to sex. That means these children are rape victims. We would never use such tactics with other rape victims. That’s why this bill was important — sexually exploited children are victims. They shouldn’t be treated as criminals.
SB 1322 actually promotes the values of conservatives like me. The bill clearly defines who the real criminals are — the traffickers and those who pay for sex with minors — and it protects victims. We conservatives should fearlessly unite to defend our values and even join with Democrats when their bills, believe it or not, do just that. Sadly, this unnecessary confusion will only divide California Republicans who already have super-minority status.
While the California legislature is guilty of imposing many crazy laws on its citizens, this protection for crime victims is not one of them. I’ll welcome every opportunity to work with any legislator who wants to defend conservative values by protecting victims and being tough on criminals.
Joel Anderson represents the 38th District in the California State Senate.
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