Today, Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) was sworn-in to represent the 12th Senate District which encompasses Fresno, Kern and Tulare Counties. She has previously represented several areas of the Central Valley while she was an Assemblywoman, State Senator and Senate Republican Leader. Senator Grove is a strong supporter of law enforcement, keeping our students in schools with ample support for safety, encouraging small businesses and supporting agriculture and energy production in the Central Valley.
Earlier today, Senator Grove introduced Senate Bill 14 which will strengthen public safety by including human trafficking in the lists of crimes that are defined as serious and violent under California law, making the crime a strike under the Three Strikes law.
During the 2021-2022 legislative session, Senator Grove championed legislation and advocated for survivors that have been severely affected by the soft-on-crime policies, which has allowed the early release of violent offenders back onto the streets. California survivors, advocates and community organizations that have been impacted by human trafficking firsthand strongly supported Senator Grove’s previous legislative proposal. Despite the widespread support for the bill, Sacramento Democrats killed the bill in the Senate Public Safety Committee.
“Human Trafficking is not a crime taking place on the other side of the world,” said Senator Grove. “It’s happening right here in our own backyard, to students in our school systems and to our neighbors next door. It’s time we take swift action to protect survivors by giving law enforcement the tools they need to prosecute human trafficking as the crime that it has always been—a serious and violent offense.”
California consistently ranks number one in the nation for the number of human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Law enforcement agencies and special task forces have been dedicated to stopping human trafficking across the state, yet the level of sophistication and organization of these trafficking rings will require stronger consequences for law enforcement to hold criminals accountable.
Senator Grove will continue to prioritize public safety measures that hold criminals accountable and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Senator Shannon Grove being sworn in on the Senate floor as the representative of the 12thSenate District.
Senator Shannon Grove introducing her first bill of the 2022-2023 legislative session, Senate Bill 14.