Today, Senator Shannon Grove, a principal co-author of Assembly Bill 379, released a statement expressing concerns over amendments made by Assembly Democrats regarding legislation aimed at protecting minors from sex predators. Grove criticized the changes as undermining the bill’s purpose by maintaining misdemeanor penalties for those purchasing sex from minors aged 16 and 17, stating, “Why can’t extremist Assembly Democrats agree to protect minor children from sex predators? It shouldn’t be this hard!”
Grove reflected on past legislative efforts, referencing amendments to her previous bill, SB 1414, which she described as “forced hostile amendments” by “radical progressives.” She stated that the current amendments mislead the public and fail to address the issue adequately, calling it a “tragedy for the children trapped in human bondage.”
Grove expressed her gratitude to Assemblywoman Krell, a co-author of AB 379, for her support in the legislative process. She praised Krell’s qualifications, mentioning her background as a former federal prosecutor with experience in sex trafficking cases. Grove criticized the decision to remove Krell’s name from the bill without her consent, describing it as disrespectful and indicative of Democratic leadership’s disconnect from the gravity of the situation, stating, “Stripping her name from the bill without her consent isn’t just disrespectful, it’s a clear sign that Democratic leadership is out of touch with the seriousness of this crisis.”
