California Democrats kill tougher sentences for sex crimes, favor tougher sentences for high-value theft

California Republican Assemblyman Joe Patterson called on Democratic lawmakers to play “partisan politics” after Democrats rejected a Republican bill that would increase penalties for sex crimes. Just a day later, they approved a Democratic bill to increase criminal penalties for theft and property damage to high-value property.

“I’m more concerned about protecting the safety of Californians, but it seems some lawmakers are more interested in partisan politics.” Patterson, R-Granite Bay (Placer County) told Fox News Digital.

On March 15, California Democrats killed Patterson Assembly Bill 229 to classify domestic violence, human trafficking and other sex crimes as a violent crime in the state. Under current California law, human trafficking is defined as a “non-serious” and “non-violent” crime.

Assembly Bill 229, titled Violent Felonies, was defeated by a Democratic supermajority with six Democrats voting against Patterson’s bill and the two Republicans voting in favour.

Assembly Public Safety Committee Chairman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, a Democrat, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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A day after voting against Patterson’s bill, the committee considered Assembly Bill 484 by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, D-Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County, to impose sentence enhancements for those convicted of taking, damaging or destroying property worth more than $275,000.

Assembly Bill 484, titled Sentencing Improvements: Loss of Property, received bipartisan support with five Democrats and 2 Republicans voting in favor of Gabriel’s bill.

“It doesn’t really make sense to me that Democrats on Capitol Hill don’t think domestic violence and human trafficking should be a violent crime, but damaging property deserves tougher penalties.” Patterson told Fox News Digital. “Their priorities are inconsistent at best.”

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer of California’s 59th Assembly District speaking at the Los Angeles County Democratic Party election night at the LA Zoo parking lot on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Some lawmakers agreed with Patterson.

“It feels like a very slippery slope here when we’re talking about improvements,” Assemblyman D-Hayward Liz Ortega told the San Francisco Chronicle. “You can’t say yes to some and no to others.”

On March 15, Democratic lawmakers introduced House Bill 467 and House Bill 304, which would make it easier for lawmakers to change domestic violence restraining orders and provide resources for those convicted. for crimes of domestic violence.

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The advancement of the two bills, Assembly Bills 467 and 304, bolstered Republicans’ arguments that Democratic lawmakers were hypocritical about their collective effort to kill Patterson’s domestic violence bill. and sex crimes.