SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Juan Alanis has issued the following statement regarding the Senate Public Safety Committee’s action yesterday of SB 1414 (Grove):

I am proud to be a co-author on SB 1414, led by Senator Shannon Grove, who has been fearless in her fight against the sex trafficking of children. As a former crimes against children detective, when I was a deputy with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, I witnessed the trauma and destruction that such crimes had on children. The selling and purchasing of children for sex should be a felony here in California. The amendments forced on Senator Grove yesterday in the Senate Public Safety Committee are difficult to reconcile against common sense and decency. I am incredibly frustrated that the original version of SB 1414 will not make it to the Assembly Public Safety Committee for consideration. I will continue to support any effort to protect our kids from sexual predators, and I want to thank Senator Grove for her continued leadership on this issue.

Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents the 22nd Assembly District, which includes the communities of Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Keyes, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande, Stevinson, & Empire.