Shocking: CA Senate Democrats Reject Banning Pedophile Sex Offenders from Holding Public Office

A bill to keep convicted sex offenders from holding public office made it through the Assembly 67 to 0 in early July.

Then it went over to the Senate, with a stop in the Senate Elections Committee, chaired by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and came out grossly amended. The Globe reported June 30th:

AB 2691 by Assemblywoman Dawn Addis (D-San Luis Obispo) prohibits persons convicted of “sexual assault” and “human trafficking” from running for any state or local elective office in California. It’s a good bill, with good intent… or was.

Recent amendments made on June 24, 2026, added in exemptions for pedophile adults who target children for sex.

Sen. Steven Choi (R-Irvine) was the only NO vote in Senate Elections. He explained:

“The recent amendments of this bill added an exemption to allow adults convicted of molesting children to be eligible to run for public office,” said Sen. Choi. “Before being amended, AB 2691 would have prohibited child groomers and pedophiles from being eligible to run. I questioned the author at the hearing why we would give these monsters an exemption and she couldn’t explain. That’s unacceptable.”

California Family Council provides details:

“AB 2691, authored by Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, is called the Public Trust Protection Act. It would disqualify people convicted of felony sexual assault or human trafficking from running for or holding state or local elected office. California Family Council supports that idea. The problem is what got added on June 24.”

The bill defines “sexual assault” to include crimes like rape, sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration. But a new exception carves out three of those crimes when they are committed against a minor age 14 to 17: felony sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration, including cases where the perpetrator is over 21 and the victim is 14 or 15. Committed against an adult, or against a child under 14, those crimes count as sexual assault and bar someone from office. Committed against a 14-to-17-year-old, they don’t.

In plain terms: a person convicted of felony sexual assault against an adult, or against a child under 14, would be barred from public office under this bill. A person convicted of the same acts against a 14-to-17-year-old would not be.

These are the exemptions from the definition of sexual assault the following crimes:
1. Penal Code §286(b) (sodomy on a minor)
2. Penal Code §287 (b) (oral copulation on a minor)
3. Penal Code §897(h) +(i) (sexual penetration on a minor)

With all of the new exemptions involving minors, claiming that these sex crimes are not felonies is flagrant.

The sex acts against minors – children – are universally held as heinous and indefensible.

If any of this is ringing a bell, Sen. Wiener, in 2019, authored Senate Bill 145 which at the time of its introduction would allow a sex offender who lures a minor with the intent to commit a felony sex act, the ability to escape registering as a sex offender as long as the offender is within 10 years of age of the minor.As we reported in 2020, SB 145  allows a 24 year old to have sex with a 14 year old, relaxing the penalties for having “non-forcible sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration with a minor.”

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Wiener’s SB 145 in 2020. The Globe reported: “Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Protect Sex Offenders Who Have Homosexual Sex with Minors,” asking,  “How can this bill be legal when California’s age of consent is still 18?”

Senator Suzette Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) weighed in on the exemptions for child-sex offenses for candidates at the June Senate Elections hearing, stating:

Right now, a registered sex offender can run for school board in California. Nothing in state law stops them. A bill to fix that, AB 2753, passed the Assembly 60-0.

Then Senate Democrats killed it in committee, and advanced a different bill carving out an exception for people convicted of sex crimes against children. This already almost happened. A registered sex offender tried to run for Fresno City Council this year.

Protecting kids should not be controversial.

Parents and voters deserve better.

Senator Valladares on Tuesday called on the California Senate to restore the bill language that would ban dangerous criminals, including convicted sex offenders, from holding public office in California.

She called on her colleagues to accept her amendments to AB 2691, which would have closed a loophole in the bill allowing convicted sex offenders, including people convicted of crimes against children, to hold public office, including serving on school boards in California.

Senate Democrats rejected them. “Predators who sexually abuse children have no place holding public office,” Sen. Valladares said, debating in the Senate in favor of the amendment. “None. Not in the Capitol, not on City Council, and definitely not on our school boards.”

Earlier this summer, the bill’s definition of sexual assault was quietly narrowed to cover only Tier 3 sex offenders, those required to register for life, as the Globe reported in June. Tier 1 and Tier 2 sex offenders were carved out entirely, leaving them free to run for office and serve in positions of public trust.

“AB 2691 originally did what common sense demands: bar convicted criminals, including sex offenders from holding public office,” said Sen. Valladares. “Then Sacramento Democrats gutted the bill’s protections and created a loophole so large that people convicted of heinous crimes against children can still run for office and serve in positions of public trust, including on school boards.

Senator Valladares introduced the hostile amendments to restore the bill to its original form.

What the @!&% happened?

AB 2691 by Assemblywoman Addis, targeted felony sexual assault and human trafficking convictions as disqualifying, expanding the existing list of bribery, embezzlement of public funds, etc… Her bill was amended to allow adults who sexually assault children to be eligible to run for office.

Sen. Wiener publicly argued against the broad sex registry-based ban, noting that California’s tiered sex offender registry includes lower-level or less recent offenses, that a lifetime candidacy ban for anyone ever registered goes further than the registry itself, which is not always permanent, and that this raises concerns about the law being too broad.

Who Sacramento Says Can Still Hold Public Office

“Someone convicted of sodomizing, orally copulation, or sexually penetrating  a minor, would remain eligible to run for and hold public office in California, including on local school boards,” Valladares said.

“That’s not oversight. That’s a choice,” she added.

“Sacramento Democrats deliberately wrote these exemptions into the bill. They had the opportunity today to fix it and restore real protection for our communities. They rejected it. Once again, Sacramento is choosing criminals over the families and victims it is supposed to protect.”

“Convicted sex offenders don’t get to hold public office. Period,” she added.

“These are not minor offenses. These are among the most heinous crimes one person can commit against another, many of them crimes against children. Sacramento Democrats have deliberately carved out a loophole that lets these individuals serve on your city council, your school board, or in your state legislature,” Valladares said.

“This is not an accident, and it is not a compromise,” said Senator Valladares.

“Californians have been sending a clear message to Sacramento: public safety is the priority. Protect victims. Hold criminals accountable. Keep predators away from positions of power and trust. Time after time, Sacramento’s majority party refuses to listen.”

It makes one ask why – why are Democrats going to the mat for convicted sex offenders, and giving their tacit approval that sex offenders be allowed to hold office?

“I will not stop fighting until every sex offender is barred from holding public office in California,” said Senator Valladares. “No loopholes. No carve-outs. No exceptions. Californians deserve elected officials they can trust, and that starts with making sure the people holding office have not committed crimes against children. This fight is not over.”

It is indefensible and abhorrent for the California Legislature to legislate its approval of sex offenders convicted of sodomy on a minor, oral copulation on a minor, or sexual penetration on a minor to hold elective office within this state.

This is your Democrat Supermajority.