California Democrats have gutted a bipartisan bill that would have made it a felony to solicit sex from minors of any age, including 16- and 17-year-olds. Despite backing from Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Democratic legislators on the Assembly Public Safety Committee stripped the felony provision from Assembly Bill 379, drawing national backlash.
AB 379, introduced by Assemblywoman Maggy Krell and state Sen. Shannon Grove, was intended to close dangerous loopholes left by last year’s Senate Bill 1414. That bill criminalized buying sex from minors under 16, but left older teens unprotected. Amid intense public outrage, Newsom and Kounalakis voiced support for reinstating the original provisions, but Democrats on the committee instead opted to delay action until the fall through informational hearings.
Assembly Republicans responded with a “hostile” amendment to restore the felony clause. Krell, a Democrat, broke with her colleagues and supported the amendment, stating she did not consider it hostile and would vote in favor of it.
A heated debate erupted on the Assembly floor. Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, a gay Republican, criticized Democrats for using identity politics to shield dangerous policies. “It’s offensive to use the gay community as window dressing for sex trafficking,” DeMaio said, referencing the defense of SB 357, which decriminalized loitering for prostitution. Assemblyman Mark Gonzalez fired back, accusing DeMaio of voting against LGBT rights.
Critics say SB 357, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, helped enable rampant open-air prostitution zones in major California cities. In parts of Los Angeles, entire neighborhoods have become red-light districts in broad daylight, with minors visibly engaged in sex work.
Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper, a former Democrat lawmaker, condemned the legislature’s decision. “They are currently getting sexually exploited, and the Legislature made a decision today that the exploitation of these children is acceptable collateral damage,” Cooper said. His department is investigating 17 open cases involving juvenile sex trafficking this year alone, and has already rescued seven minors.
