BY ODESSA PERKINS
SPECIAL TO THE SACRAMENTO BEE
[NOTE: Senate Bill 14 is authored by Senator Shannon Grove]
… On July 11, in front of the California Assembly Committee on Public Safety in support of Senate Bill 14 to make the sex trafficking of children a serious felony, I felt like I was on trial, defending my life and the horrific experiences I have endured that have made me into who I am today. But I did not walk into that room to defend myself. I did it to defend the innocence of every child in the world. This moment was monumental to me.
SB 14 is a collaborative effort between Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and myself. If any crime should be a serious felony to keep rightfully punish repeat offenders, it is the trafficking of a minor for sex.
… But as I listened to the responses to my testimony, my heart sank. How could they not realize the severity of this issue?
One committee member talked about the three strikes law; another talked about how this bill would affect Black and the brown communities; and another spoke about the mass incarceration rate. None spoke about the countless children being sold for money or held captive. They did not speak about the immense violence that takes place and the brainwashing that is endured as trafficked children are stripped of their identities. I heard so many political issues brought up, but I heard no compassion for the children. This is not a political issue; it is a human issue.
… One by one, committee members said they could not support SB 14. We left the hearing feeling not so much defeated as confused and emotional. We knew the fight was not over. The media chimed in right away, and public figures including Elon Musk …
… I implore the public to call their state representatives and voice their support for SB 14. The bill must still pass through the Assembly Appropriations Committee and the Assembly floor before it finally reaches Newsom. …
Click here to read the full Op-ed authored by survivor Odessa Perkins as published in The Sacramento Bee.