The legal system in California has even managed to outrage Democrats. Democratic Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman spoke out on the floor of the California Senate on Wednesday about a newly proposed law that would increase penalties for soliciting sex from a minor. The bill, SB-1414, aims to upgrade soliciting a minor from a misdemeanor to a felony, resulting in a heavier prison sentence, a fine, and sex offender registration.
However, Talamantes Eggman became enraged when she learned that the Senate Public Safety Committee had made amendments to the bill. These changes would protect some child abusers by not categorizing solicitation as a felony if the victim is 16 or 17 years old. Talamantes Eggman firmly stated, “I’m done. I’m done with us protecting people who would buy and abuse our children. I’m done.” She brought attention to the loophole in the current law that allows sex offenders to slip by with minimal punishment, saying, “We have given away enough on this area, and we’ve got to move back into the center, or we all look like fools.”
Talamantes Eggman also expressed frustration with the leniency towards sex offenders, stating, “Men are being given a little slap on the hand or a couple of days [in jail], and then they’re back out again, and they do the same thing. They get caught over and over and over again, and somehow that’s OK. It’s not OK.” She argues that stiffer penalties need to be in place to protect victims and hold offenders accountable.
The backlash towards the amendments to the bill came from both sides of the political spectrum. The initial draft was criticized by the California Public Defenders Association, stating that the changes would unfairly label some defendants as sex offenders and have lasting consequences on their lives. Republican state Senator Shannon Grove, the bill’s author, also called the amendments “garbage” and vowed to continue fighting for stronger penalties for soliciting a minor.
Democrat CA state Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman says she is “done” with the Democrat party protecting violent criminals who abuse children.
Wow ????????
“I’d like to say as a progressive, proud member of this body for the last 12 years, I’m done.”
“I’m done with us protecting… pic.twitter.com/BT6kL7b4o5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 30, 2024
The bill will now move on to the Senate Appropriations Committee. It remains unclear whether the amendments will be removed or if stricter penalties will be put back in place. But one thing is clear: both Democrats and Republicans are united in their opposition to the amendments. All parties agree that protecting children and holding perpetrators accountable must be a top priority. Hopefully, the appropriate changes will be made to the bill to ensure that justice is served for victims of sex crimes.