Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Politics

Top California Dem silent amid backlash following controversial no vote

by March 23, 2023
March 23, 2023
Top California Dem silent amid backlash following controversial no vote

A powerful California Democrat who recently helped kill a Republican-backed state bill that would’ve increased criminal penalties for those found guilty of various forms of sexual assault, including rape, is staying quiet amid widespread backlash for opposing the measure.

Assembly Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, chair of the California Assembly’s Public Safety Committee, along with the rest of the panel’s Democrats voted last week against Bill 229, which would classify domestic violence, human trafficking, and several sex offenses as a violent crime in the state.

As a result, the bill failed to make it out of committee, despite the committee’s two Republicans voting in support of the legislation.

Jones-Sawyer didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s latest request for comment after similarly not responding to one last week.

The successful effort to kill the bill received backlash, both in the media and online.

‘This week, CA Democrats killed a GOP bill to increase penalties for domestic violence, human trafficking & other sex crimes. Moments later, they approved a Dem bill to impose sentence enhancements on theft of property above $275k,’ tweeted Emily Hoeven, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. ‘If Dems aren’t going to show ideological consistency in their votes, they owe it to us to allow a wider swath of ideas to be robustly debated. Their party, which controls a legislative supermajority, has not come close to solving CA’s problems on its own.’

Hoeven was referring to the fact that shortly after Democrats on the Public Safety Committee killed Assembly Bill 229, they passed a separate measure to enhance sentences for people convicted of taking, damaging, or destroying property worth more than $275,000.

‘Doesn’t really make sense to me why Capitol Democrats don’t feel like domestic violence and human trafficking should be a violent crime, but damaging property is worthy of harsher penalties,’ Assembly Member Joe Patterson, the Republican who introduced AB229, told Fox News Digital last week. ‘Their priorities are inconsistent at best.’

Ana Fuentes, a former photographer for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Associated Press, retweeted Hoeven’s comments, writing a bill to increase penalties for violent offenders deserved more attention.

‘The bill deserved serious consideration — not only b/c it would amend Calif penal code to classify domestic violence as the violent crime that it is, but also b/c it could help the state reduce mass shootings, which research shows are overwhelmingly committed by domestic abusers,’ she tweeted, quoting from Hoeven’s column.

‘According to [California Democrats,] rape is not a violent act,’ added George Andrews, chief of staff to the California Assembly Republican Caucus. ‘Victims don’t matter & prison time is worthless/racist. Let’s just hand out parking tickets to criminals who commit sexual assault because incarceration hurts feelings.’

Under California law, committing a ‘violent felony’ enhances the punishment for crimes in accordance with the state’s Three Strikes Law, which significantly increases the prison sentences of people convicted of felonies who have been previously convicted of a violent or serious felony. For those already found guilty of two violent or serious felony offenses, a third conviction necessitates a prison sentence of 25 years to life.

Patterson’s bill would expand the crimes that are considered violent felonies, thereby increasing the punishments for those convicted of such crimes. Among the several crimes listed are domestic violence, human trafficking, and a host of sex crimes such as rape of an unconscious or incapacitated person. Under current law, human trafficking, for example, is defined as a non-serious and non-violent crime.

‘I am disgusted to announce that [AB229], a measure to make sexual assault a violent felony, failed on a party-line vote in the #CALeg Assembly Public Safety Committee,’ tweeted Republican Assembly Member Tom Lackey. ‘Please explain to me why isn’t rape violent in California?’

While Jones-Sawyer didn’t respond to Fox News Digital, he outlined his views on the matter at last week’s committee hearing.

‘You’re trying to say, ‘If we go back to three strikes, we will stop all crime,” he told Patterson. ‘We’ve already proven that doesn’t work.’

Aaron Kliegman is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Sens. Rick Scott, Elizabeth Warren propose to replace the Fed’s internal watchdog
next post
DeSantis says Putin is ‘a war criminal’ in Piers Morgan interview

You may also like

BIG NEWS FROM WAR ROOM: Republicans Looking at...

September 23, 2022

ICE deports Afghan evacuee who sexually abused 3-year-old...

December 20, 2022

A Biden-era legal win paved the way for...

February 25, 2025

Manchin not ruling out 2024 3rd-party presidential run:...

June 5, 2023

US peace talks with Ukraine, Russia get underway...

March 24, 2025

SCOOP: Jim Jordan joining Trump at NCAA men’s...

March 22, 2025

MUST WATCH: AOC Gets Absolutely Chewed Out By...

October 13, 2022

Biden’s ‘stature’ diminished by classified documents scandal, Sen....

January 22, 2023

White House ‘grateful’ to Mexico for agreeing to...

May 5, 2023

Pro-Trump Republican Joe Kent Raises Concerns Over Ballot...

November 11, 2022

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Jaguar Land Rover threatens legal action over National Rail’s use of ‘rover’ and ‘ranger’ ticket names

      August 16, 2025
    • 2025’s Top 6 AI Answering Services (and Why AI Support is Essential)

      August 16, 2025
    • Democrats doubt Trump will secure Ukraine cease-fire in Alaska summit with Putin

      August 16, 2025
    • ‘Absolutely incredible’: B-2 bomber, F-35 escort set stage for Trump-Putin talks in Alaska

      August 16, 2025
    • Rutherford v. United States Brief: Defending the First Step Act

      August 15, 2025
    • Hawley opens probe into Meta after reports of AI romantic exchanges with minors

      August 15, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,798)
    • Investing (2,217)
    • Politics (16,394)
    • Stocks (3,228)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved