ASHLEY ZAVALA JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. EDIE. THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED BY A REPUBLICAN LAST YEAR TO CRACK DOWN ON THE CONSUMERS OF THE CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING INDUSTRY. BEFORE LAST YEAR, IT WAS A MISDEMEANOR IN CALIFORNIA TO PURCHASE A CHILD FOR SEX. WITH THE PASSAGE OF LAST YEAR’S LAW, IT’S NOW A FELONY TO PURCHASE ANYONE 15 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER. BUT NOW, AFTER A FIGHT OVER ALL OF THIS LAST YEAR, DEMOCRATIC SACRAMENTO ASSEMBLY MEMBER MAGGIE KRELL IS TRYING TO INCLUDE 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS IN THAT SOLID FELONY CHARGE. EVEN THOUGH LAWMAKERS WANT THIS CHANGED, WE’RE HEARING THE REASON WHY IT’S NOT IS BECAUSE SOME DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO HONOR A CLOSED DOOR DEAL ON THIS WHOLE ISSUE THAT WAS MADE LAST YEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS COLD, AND THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET IT BACK ON THE AGENDA IS IF PARTS OF THE BILL WOULD BE BLOCKED. FORMER CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PROSECUTOR AND NOW DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY MEMBER MAGGIE KRELL, DISAPPOINTED BY WHAT’S HAPPENED TO HER BILL, THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH HER PROPOSAL THAT WOULD MAKE IT A FELONY TO PURCHASE A 16 OR 17 YEAR OLD FOR SEX. DID YOU EXPECT THIS? ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THIS? JUST BEING A NEW MEMBER IN THIS BUILDING? I THINK IT’S A DISGRACE. IT’S EVIL. REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR SHANNON GROVE, WHO ORIGINALLY PITCHED THE CONCEPT LAST YEAR, SAYS THE ASSEMBLY IS NOW TRYING TO HONOR A CLOSED DOOR DEAL BETWEEN HER AND THE STATE SENATE FROM LAST YEAR. THAT DEAL ALLOWED WHAT’S NOW STATE LAW TO MOVE FORWARD. LAST YEAR, LAWMAKERS MADE IT A FELONY TO PURCHASE A CHILD 15 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER FOR SEX WHILE ALLOWING THE PURCHASE OF 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS TO BE EITHER A MISDEMEANOR OR FELONY. GROVE SAYS IT WAS MORE OF AN ULTIMATUM. IT WAS EITHER MOVE FORWARD WITH 15 AND BELOW, OR GET NOTHING. AND SO THIS THE THE ISSUE OF PROTECTING THE 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS THAT WE PUT FORWARD IN THE BILL, BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS IF YOU ASKED ANYBODY IN CALIFORNIA, THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THOSE PROTECTIONS AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING MINORS. THEY ARE MINORS. THEY’RE CONSIDERED MINORS UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE. FOR IT TO COME FROM THE SENATE JUST BECAUSE THEY SAID SO IS COMPLETELY EVIL, JUST EVIL. MY PERSPECTIVE AS CHAIR IS THAT THERE WAS A CAREFULLY NEGOTIATED DEAL LAST YEAR. NEW ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NICK SCHULTZ IS THE ONE WHO ULTIMATELY MADE THIS LATEST DECISION. THE NEGOTIATION OR THE DEAL THAT I GUESS WAS STRUCK BETWEEN SENATORS AND SENATOR GROVE LAST YEAR TO MOVE HER BILL WITH THE 15 YEARS OLD AND UNDER FORWARD. I MEAN, DO YOU THINK LIKE THE REGULAR AVERAGE CALIFORNIA VOTER, TAXPAYER OR EVEN VICTIM OF THIS CRIME, LIKE THAT WOULD MEAN ANYTHING TO THEM? HERE’S WHAT I THINK. I THINK THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER EXPECTS TO BE KEPT SAFE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THEY ALSO EXPECT A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE. THAT’S WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. I THINK WHETHER YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT SENATE BILL 1414 LAST YEAR OR ASSEMBLY BILL 379 THIS YEAR, THE REALITY IS MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT WATCHING THE DAY TO DAY DEVELOPMENTS OF THESE BILLS. I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20 YEARS, AND I’M NOT GOING TO QUIT NOW. AND I AM GOING TO BRING THIS PART OF THIS BILL BACK EVERY YEAR UNTIL I GET THE VOTES TO PROTECT CHILDREN. THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING TO DO. SO ASSEMBLYMAN NICK SCHULTZ SAID LATER THIS FALL HE WANTS TO HOLD INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS TO GO DEEPER ON THE 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS ISSUE AND COME BACK IN JANUARY WITH A NEW PROPOSAL. WE SHOULD NOTE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL HEARINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE FROM LAST YEAR. AGAIN, WHEN THE IDEA WAS ORIGINALLY PITCHED, AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER KRELL HAS SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THE POINT OF THIS IS TO MAKE IT SO THAT THE LAWS ARE CONSISTENT FOR TRAFFICKERS AND BUYERS, BECAUSE THOSE HARSHER PENALTIES APPLY TO TRAFFICKERS WHO TRAFFICKED CHILDREN 18 AND UNDER, AND THEREFORE THE LAW, SHE SAYS, SHOULD APPLY TO BUYERS. FOR THAT REASON AND SO MANY OTHER LAWS THAT APPLY TO MINORS JUST IN GENERAL. SO THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, KRELL’S BILL THAT ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD. WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING FOR THERE? RIGHT. YEAH. THE HEARING TOMORROW WILL STILL ALLOW PARTS OF AB 379 TO CONTINUE. THOSE PARTS INCLUDE REINSTATING PENALTIES FOR THOSE WHO LOITER FOR PROSTITUTION WITH THE INTENT TO PURCHASE ANYONE. THOSE CONVICTED WOULD HAVE TO PAY UP TO A $1,000 FINE, AND THAT MONEY WOULD THEN GO INTO A FUND FOR SURVIVORS. BUT AGAIN, THOSE HEARINGS LATER THIS FALL WILL DISSECT THAT OTHER ISSUE. BUT ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE’RE SEEING HERE IS POLITICS AT PLAY. THE DEAL THAT A GUEST MADE THIS WHOLE THI