There was a proposal to make it a felony in California to purchase 16- and 17-year-olds for sex. That proposal -- to make it a felony to purchase 16- and 17-year-olds for sex -- is being blocked by California Democrats. Apparently, if I have this right, democrats in California don't think it should be a felony to purchase 16- and 17-year-olds for sex.

I just... wow.

So, last year, there was a senate bill (SB 1414) to make it a felony to purchase sex from ALL children (according to CBS-19). I'm unclear why it wasn't a felony before this, but... it's California. Know what I mean? California Democrats forced amendments to that bill, saying that if the teen was only 16- or 17-years-old, buying them for sex would only be a misdemeanor.

This year's assembly bill (AB 379) was supposed to close the loophole of the Senate bill and go back to making it a felony to purchase any minor for sex. However, it appears there are some in California who would like to hear more debate on the matter.

KCRA says Assembly Public Safety Chairman Nick Schultz, D-Burbank, instead “wants to host info hearings on the issue in the fall.”

“Apparently we now need an 'informational hearing' to decide whether having sex with children should be a felony,” said the Assembly Republican Caucus in a statement. “Who exactly are Assembly Democrats representing?”

If there isn't a hearing today, if I have this right, the bill will fail, and it will only be a misdemeanor to buy sex from 16- or 17-year-olds. It COULD be a felony, but that would be at the discretion of the California judge hearing the case.

Look, I get that California is a weird place. This is the state that passed a law no longer making it a felony to give someone HIV knowing you have HIV, after having sex with someone who didn't know you had HIV. And not being a Californian, perhaps there are nuances to how laws work that I am unfamiliar with. Before today, I was under the impression it would (and should) be a felony to buy anyone for sex, let alone a minor.

But who shows up during a hearing to argue that it should only be a misdemeanor if the kid is at least sixteen? I feel as it their names should be on a registry somewhere.

Brodigan is Grand Poobah of this here website and when he isn't writing words about things enjoys day drinking, pro-wrestling, and country music. You can find him on the Twitter too.

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