Child Prostitution and the Court Politics of California

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation three times affirming the solicitation of minors 16 to 17 years old. Full stop. Newsom’s denial is in response to committee changes to Assembly Bill 379, making the solicitation of minors a felony again in California, and is sponsored by Assemblywoman Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) and State Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield). AB 379 is opposed by State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and the Democrat majority in Sacramento because children are expendable in a state only concerned with power and succession.

On Monday, Chair of the Public Safety Committee Assemblyman Nick Schultz (D-Burbank) announced AB 379 would be amended to remove the solicitation of 16 and 17 year olds as a felony. This was at the behest of Wiener, a prominent State Senator and dean of the California LGBTQ Caucus. His legislative record – which Newsom signed into law – includes lowering the age of consent to 14 years old. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) needs Wiener to pass legislation in the State Senate.

The changes were opposed by Krell, whose name was replaced with Schultz’s and original co-sponsor Assemblywoman Stephanie Nguyen (D-Elk Grove), and Assembly Republicans. In San Fernando Valley tradition, Rivas sat newly elected Schultz down on a couch, explained how the industry works and how to advance his career, before passing Schultz off to Wiener. But, Schultz doesn’t understand how prostitution actually works, he is disposable, and there is only one Speaker Emerita in the Great State of Nancy Pelosi.

Newsom – who makes everything about him – claims he opposes the solicitation of minors. However, the reason solicitation of 16 and 17 year olds is only a misdemeanor in California is because Newsom signed Wiener’s Senate Bills 145 (2020), SB 357 (2022), and Grove’s amended SB 1414 (2024). SB 145 reduced the age of consent to 14 years old, if the offender is under 24, to a misdemeanor. This was to match laws for heterosexuals; other alternatives could have been raising the age of consent to 18 years old or to within four years for everyone. SB 357 reduced the solicitation of prostitutes to a misdemeanor. For SB 1414, Wiener forced Grove to either settle for just 14 and 15 year olds or no protections at all.

Newsom is only upset he was caught again with his hand in the cookie jar. In 2008, then-Mayor of San Francisco Newsom only opposed Proposition K, the legalization of prostitution, at the last minute when it obviously would fail with 60% voting no. Notably, then-District Attorney Kamala Harris opposed it from the start. It was one of several reasons Newsom was and is perceived as an amoral unelectable far-left San Francisco liberal, and dropped out to no one during his first failed run for governor. It’s the same problem running for president.

If Newsom actually opposes the solicitation and trafficking of children – which based on his actions he doesn’t – last year Newsom demonstrated he can whip both State Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) and Speaker Rivas to pass a bill in a month. Conversely, Lt Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and Christine Pelosi, daughter of Speaker Emerita Pelosi, nominally oppose the solicitation of minors. They, McGuire, Rivas, Wiener, and most of the legislature are competing against each other for once in a generation seats in Congress.

Speaker Emerita Pelosi, age 85 and elected in 1987, and represents San Francisco. Although she hasn’t officially announced her retirement, she has been absent since her fall last December. Heirs include her daughter Christine, Wiener, and Saikat Chakrabarti. Chakrabarti was Chief of Staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Pelosi isn’t concerned about the minutiae of Sacramento, however she obviously favors her daughter and most people are against pedophilia.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, age 77 and elected in 1995, represents a Hispanic majority district gerrymandered from San Jose to the Salinas Valley; in other words Mahan and Rivas. Although most of the district is in Monterey County, the donor base is in Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley. In 2024, then-San Jose Mayor Sam Liccado openly considered running if Lofgren retired, ultimately replacing Rep. Anna Eshoo. Through Pelosi’s donor base, Newsom exerts control over Rivas and McGuire. McGuire is term-limited and running for Insurance Commissioner until a seat opens up.

Rep. Doris Matsui, age 80 and succeeded her late husband elected in 1979, and represents Sacramento County. Rep. John Garamendi, age 80 and elected in 1999, represents Solano and North Contra Costa Counties. Rep. Mike Thompson, age 74 and elected in 1995, represents Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Yolo Counties. Kounalakis needs restitution if former Vice President Harris runs for governor, and there are several state legislators, empowered by their proximity to the State Capitol.

Democrat Assemblywoman Maggy Krell and Republican State Sen. Shannon Grove deserve a Profile in Courage Award for their work and risk against child sex trafficking. Grove withdrew her name from AB 379 for it to have a chance of passing. Krell, a freshman, is risking her political future in a single-party state that is now only about selling children and measuring coffins in the game of court politics of succession and personal gain – not serving California.