A California senator who is fighting to send sick pedophiles to longer prison terms has blasted progressive lawmakers in his own party who are trying to water down the new law, declaring, “We’ve had enough.”
Sen. Susan Eggman, a Democrat who represents parts of San Joaquin County outside San Francisco, delivered a fiery speech on the Senate floor last Thursday as lawmakers considered a bill that would make it a felony in California to purchase or solicit a minor for commercial sex acts.
“As a progressive and proud member of this organization for the past 12 years, I want to say it’s over. It’s over protecting those who buy and abuse our children. It’s over,” Eggman, 63, said.
“I don’t want to send more black and brown men to prison. I don’t want more people in prison, but I don’t want people buying girls either. I don’t want any more people buying little girls. I’m tired of being told that this is okay, that we have to protect men who do this.”
Under California law, soliciting or purchasing sex from a child is a misdemeanor punishable by two days to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.
House Bill 1414, authored by Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove and supported by Eggman, seeks to increase penalties from at least two to four years in prison and require sex offender registration.
Last month, some Democrats watered down the bill to allow a felony classification only for purchases by minors under the age of 16. KCRA reported at that time.
“I’m not arguing that we should open up our prison gates and pack people in, but I am arguing that we have a moral responsibility to say, ‘enough is enough,'” Eggman said last week as the issue returned to the Senate.
“We have made enough concessions in this area. We must get back to the center or we will all look like fools and laughing stock.”
“A lot of these kids could be abandoned kids. They’re poor kids. They’re kids of color, but their lives are dictated by what other people put in their hands at a young age, and it’s not up to the California Democratic Party to say, ‘That’s OK,'” she continued.
“That’s not OK. I don’t do that anymore, and I hope you don’t either. We have to be able to draw the line.”
The bill, which Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed, passed unanimously 36-0 and now heads to the state Assembly.
