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NEWS POLITICS

California GOP lawmaker accuses Democrats of playing politics after bill to increase sex crime penalties is shot down

ByAlki David

Mar 31, 2023
Republican California Assembly Member Joe Patterson

A recent move by California Democrats to reject a Republican-backed bill aimed at increasing the penalties for sex crimes has drawn sharp criticism from Assembly Member Joe Patterson. The bill, titled Violent Felonies, sought to classify domestic violence, human trafficking and other sex crimes as violent crimes in the state.

Patterson, who represents Granite Bay in Placer County, accused Democratic lawmakers of playing “partisan politics” by rejecting the bill. Under current California law, human trafficking is classified as a non-serious and non-violent crime.

The Republican assembly member expressed concern over the safety of Californians and urged lawmakers to prioritize the well-being of citizens over political affiliation. “I’m more concerned about protecting the safety of Californians, but it seems like some legislators are more interested in partisan politics,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

However, just a day later, Democrats approved a bill aimed at increasing criminal penalties for theft and property damage of high-value property. The move has led to accusations of hypocrisy and further fueled allegations of political maneuvering.

Assembly Bill 229 was rejected by the Democrat supermajority, with six Democrats voting against the bill and only two Republicans in favor. The rejection of the bill has sparked renewed debate over California’s approach to sex crimes and the need for tougher penalties.

Critics argue that the rejection of Assembly Bill 229 sends the wrong message to victims of sexual assault and human trafficking, while proponents of the Democrat-backed bill argue that it will help to deter theft and property damage.

The debate over criminal justice reform in California is likely to continue, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continuing to push for legislation that reflects their respective priorities.

By Alki David

Alki David — Publisher, Media Architect, SIN Network Creator - live, direct-to-public communication, media infrastructure, accountability journalism, and independent distribution. Born in Lagos, Nigeria; educated in the United Kingdom and Switzerland; attended the Royal College of Art. Early internet broadcaster — participated in real-time public coverage during the 1997 Mars landing era using experimental online transmission from Beverly Hills. Founder of FilmOn, one of the earliest global internet television networks offering live and on-demand broadcasting outside legacy gatekeepers. Publisher of SHOCKYA — reporting since 2010 on systemic corruption inside the entertainment business and its expansion into law, finance, and regulation. Creator of the SIN Network (ShockYA Integrated Network), a federated media and civic-information infrastructure spanning investigative journalism, live TV, documentary, and court-record reporting. Lived and worked for over 40 years inside global media hubs including Malibu, Beverly Hills, London, Hong Kong and Gstaad. Early encounter with Julian Assange during the first Hologram USA operations proved a formative turning point — exposing the realities of lawfare, information suppression, and concentrated media power. Principal complainant and driving force behind what court filings describe as the largest consolidated media–legal accountability action on record, now before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Relocated to Antigua & Barbuda and entered sustained legal, civic, and informational confrontation over media power, safeguarding, and accountability at Commonwealth scale.