Francesca Hong’s Vote Against Child Grooming Bill

Francesca Hong stands out as one of the six Democratic senators from Wisconsin who opposed a proposed law to classify child grooming as a felony.

The legislative bill 677, introduced in 2025, aimed to criminalize “grooming a child for sexual activity.” Its introduction followed public outcry after a school teacher, Christian Enright, who was acquitted of causing a disturbance despite reportedly engaging in a grooming relationship with a 14-year-old.

“I will never vote for a bill that enacts hate speech and is perceived as hate speech,” she stated.

The bill articulates that no one should engage in any conduct aimed at conditioning or enticing a child for sexual acts or for the production or distribution of explicit materials involving minors.

The Wisconsin Legislature passed the bill in January with a 93-6 vote. Along with Hong, three other senators abstained from voting. The Socialist Party unanimously rejected the new child protection measures. Democratic Governor Tony Evers signed the legislation in March.

Currently, Hong is seen as a leading candidate in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor, but she has not publicly clarified why she voted against the bill. Her campaign did not respond to inquiries regarding her opposition to classifying patterned sexual grooming as a felony.

Supporters of Hong’s candidacy were among those opposing the bill.

One observer noted that the term “groomer” has increasingly been used pejoratively to suggest that LGBTQ+ individuals, especially educators, pose a risk to children. This perspective was echoed by state Rep. Angelina Cruz (Democratic), who also opposed the legislation.

Cruz remarked, “I will never vote for a bill that enacts hate speech and is perceived as hate speech,” emphasizing that the issue was more about advancing political agendas than protecting children.

Cruz is also a public school teacher and previously served as president of the Racine College of Education Council.

Democratic Rep. Christian Phelps, who is part of the Socialist Party caucus, claimed the bill did not represent a “good faith effort,” according to a report from the Wisconsin State Examiner. Phelps is also the vice chairperson of the Congressional LGBTQ+ caucus.

Even the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction supported the proposed measure, which was in response to the Enright case. Before this law, no specific Wisconsin legislation criminalized grooming, meaning prosecutors could only bring misdemeanors against such actions, allowing individuals like Enright to avoid sex offender registration.

Enright pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, leading to a sentence of over a year in prison with a suspended sentence, as reported by various outlets.

Assembly Bill 677 has since been enacted as 2025 Wisconsin Statute 88. Following Governor Evers’ signature, prosecutors have begun applying this law in recent cases, with initial charges filed shortly after its implementation.