Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

3 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

3 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

3 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

4 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

4 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

4 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

4 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

4 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

4 days ago
Opinion: California Must End the Plague of Human Trafficking. This Proposal Can Help.
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 5 years ago on
January 23, 2020

Share

Ending the plague of human trafficking is one of my top legislative priorities.
Sadly, California is prime hunting ground for pimps and gangs to exploit human trafficking. There are a number of reasons for this including:

  • The state’s growing under-18 population.
  • The state’s network of highways providing quick access to the rest of the nation, and
  • An increasing number of families with chaotic or dysfunctional homes due to financial problems or substance abuse.

Combined, these factors make it easy for predators to capture victims and keep them moving. It also makes it nearly impossible for victimized kids to escape.


By Ling Ling Chang
Special to CalMatters

All Jurisdictions Must Work Together

With sex-trafficked children constantly kept on the move, law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions and non-profit service providers must work together.
That’s why I introduced Senate Bill 35. Although Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed this legislation, I remain steadfast in my commitment to combating sexual predators who take advantage of trafficking victims.
This bill would have combated human trafficking by re-establishing the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery task force, and providing law enforcement agencies with accurate information.

Statewide Study on Trafficking Needed

The task force would have developed a uniform system for cooperative information gathering, investigation, arrest and prosecution of traffickers, pimps and gangs. It also would have required the first comprehensive statewide study on sex trafficking.
“This complex criminal issue needs a multi-tiered, long-term response,” said Kay Buck, chief executive officer of the California-based Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, and a leader in the anti-trafficking movement.
“Currently, there aren’t any statewide or national studies of this nature. California has the opportunity to establish a precedent by developing a task force to study labor and sex trafficking, providing us with valuable insights to end this epidemic.”

Legislation Vetoed by Gov. Newsom

SB 35 received unanimous approval in eight committee and floor votes in the state Assembly and Senate, a testament to concerns about this crime and the legislative interest in helping law enforcement take traffickers off the streets.
Gov. Newsom justified his veto by explaining that the state had already allocated funding for services to victims and studies to scope the size of the problem in “certain high incidence counties.”
Throwing money piecemeal is a woefully inadequate response to such a dangerous, widespread problem. That approach might work if the traffickers never left their country. Agencies need common, statewide protocols for identifying, documenting and attacking human trafficking.

Traffickers Exploit Gaps to Escape Prosecution

If Gov. Newsom thinks funding the status quo will protect children from sexual predators, he’s plain wrong. Traffickers use jurisdiction hopping to escape prosecution, exploiting the difficulty in detecting human trafficking. SB 35 would have tackled this problem.
I plan to introduce new legislation in 2020 to give law enforcement the tools needed to lock up these sexual predators.
We need to stop just discussing this pressing issue and enact legislation going after human-traffickers. My commitment to these victims remains a top priority and I look forward to working with Democrats, Republicans and Gov. Newsom to enact legislation that will put these predators on notice. California will not tolerate the plague of human trafficking.
_____
Sen. Ling Ling Chang, represents Senate District 29 in portions of Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties, Senator.Chang@sen.ca.gov. She wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s Capitol works and why it matters.

WATCH: Local Anti-Trafficking Groups Join Together to Raise Funds

(Video by Jamie Ouverson)

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

DON'T MISS

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

DON'T MISS

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

DON'T MISS

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

DON'T MISS

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

DON'T MISS

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

DON'T MISS

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

UP NEXT

July 4th Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Founding Fathers

UP NEXT

Presidential Election Reveals Big Shift in California Voting Patterns. Will It Last?

UP NEXT

From Victims to Perpetrators: Israeli Soldiers’ Nazi Comparisons and the Unfolding War Crimes in Gaza

UP NEXT

Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining

UP NEXT

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

UP NEXT

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

UP NEXT

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

UP NEXT

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

UP NEXT

Things Netanyahu Might Say if Injected With Truth Serum

UP NEXT

California Politicians Ignore Ag’s Troubles, but Boost Movie Business

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

10 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

16 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

16 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

16 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

16 hours ago

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

17 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

17 hours ago

California’s Politics Drifts Right While New York’s Leans Left

17 hours ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

2 days ago

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

2 days ago

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

TikTok is building a new version of its app for users in the United States ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors, The I...

10 hours ago

A logo is displayed over a door at the U.S. headquarters of the social media company TikTok in Culver City, California, U.S. January 17, 2025. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

TikTok Building New Version of App Ahead of Expected US Sale, the Information Reports

Boxes of aid are stacked as Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it has commenced operations to begin distribution of aid, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

Hamas Government Office Rejects US Accusation of Involvement in Gaza Aid Site Attack

A volunteer searches for flood victims after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Sergio Flores
10 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 78, Trump Plans Visit

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk listens as US President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, DC, U.S. on November 13, 2024. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

Trump Calls Musk’s Formation of New Party “Ridiculous” and Confusing

A 22-year-old suspected DUI driver crashed into a parked CHP motorcycle and tow truck on Highway 99 near Fresno, narrowly missing an officer and bystanders, CHP said Saturday, July 5, 2025. (CHP)
16 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

A service member of a drone unit of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces controls a heavy combat drone while it flies over positions of Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk Region, Ukraine June 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
16 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

An Israeli tank maneuvers in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 6, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
16 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned nearly 80,000 acres as of Sunday, July 6, 2025, morning, prompting widespread evacuation orders and warnings across three counties. (CalFire)
16 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend