Senate Bill 1414 ( SB 1414 ), a measure that seeks to impose tougher criminal penalties on those who solicit sex from minors, has received formal opposition from the California Department of Finance ( DOF). Initial goals of the bill, which was introduced by State Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield ), were to make both successful and attempted sex with a minor illegal. A two to four-year prison sentence, a fine of up to$ 25, 000, and sex offender registration were among the proposed penalties. This may apply regardless of whether the perpetrator was aware that the person being contacted was a small or whether they should have known.
According to The Center Square, California Democrats drastically reduced the severity of the punishments by changing the act in opposition to Grove’s wishes. The updated act today makes purchasing sexual from 16- and 17-year-olds a criminal. Solicitation of kids 15 years old or younger may be treated as a “wobbler” act, meaning it could be charged as both a criminal or a criminal, but would not have a jail sentence.
The bill, which passed the California Senate, then faces the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The DOF expressed concern about the potential economic effects of SB 1414 in its antagonism letter, stating that the policy would likely result in a rise in court cases and a surge in the child prison population.
” We regret that we must reject your policy”, the DOF wrote in its email to politicians. This act expands the definition of crime, which could increase the number of cases pending in court, increase the number of nationwide adult detention centers, and improve counties ‘ ability to manage their criminal populations.
The DOF made it clear that under California Penal Code Section 1170 ( h ), repeat offenders could face harsher penalties, which could lead to state prison sentences for those who have previously been found guilty of a crime. The division expressed concern that this could change current efforts to reduce California’s prison population, which has allowed the state to be within its court-imposed populace caps and shut some prisons, saving hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
The DOF even made a point about the possible rise in administrative costs, noting that the bill may increase the number of cases heard in trial courts, aggravate the country’s General Fund, and put more pressure on the state’s General Fund.
The Assembly Appropriations Committee’s research echoed the DOF’s problems, emphasizing the high cost of prison. According to the study, incarcerating someone in a county jail costs roughly$ 29, 000 per year, whereas incarcerating anyone in a state prison costs$ 133, 000. Additionally, the committee made a warning that the country’s General Fund will have a fundamental gap of tens of billions of dollars over the upcoming fiscal years.
Senator Grove wrote on X that it was only a criminal to purchase a baby for sex in California because she was frustrated with the criticism on social media. My costs, SB 1414, aims to make it a misdemeanor that can lead to prison time. The CA Department of Finance publicly opposed my act because they claimed it was too expensive to deter animals, or those who enjoy having sex with kids.
