Two Colorado Representatives Speak Out After Democrats Unanimously Vote to “Indefinitely Postpone” Bill Mandating Sentencing Minimums for Child Sex Buyers (Video)
Last week, a committee in the Colorado legislature voted along party lines to “postpone indefinitely” a bill that would have mandated sentencing minimums for convicted buyers of children for sexual exploitation. Surprising or not, the vote was on party lines despite the bill being co-sponsored by members of both parties, with the Democrats all voting against the passage of the bill to send it to the Appropriations Committee.
The bipartisan HB24-1092 was sponsored in the Colorado House by Rep. Brandi Bradley (R) and Rep. Regina English (D) and Sen. Kevin Van Winkle (R) on the Senate side. The bill would have required sentencing minimums for several class 3 felonies committed against children to serve 4 years, while certain class 2 and 3 felonies would have been mandated to 8-year minimums, as is the presumptive range for each class of felonies.
Of the 23 lobbyists cited in the legislation, only one was “opposing,” the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar represented by Gorman Consulting, while 18 were supportive of the legislation.
According to The Gazette, Colorado is a top 20 state for human sex trafficking and, with the failure to pass this legislation, could find itself at the top of the list soon. From the Gazette Editorial:
Indeed, the U.S. State Department often ranks the United States among the top states for sex trafficking, placing us No. 1 in 2018. As sex crimes against children increase in Colorado, blame House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran for sending House Bill 1092 to the kill committee.
Blame committee members Steven Woodrow, Andrew Boesenecker, Elisabeth Epps, Jenny Willford, Kyle Brown, and Naquetta Ricks, Jennifer Lea Parenti and Manny Rutinel for dismissing the bill. Thank Republican committee members Ken DeGraff, Scott Bottoms and Brandi Bradley for voting against adults raping children.
Do not blame Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, a father who wants accountability for rapists. He vows to make Colorado among the 10 safest states, and this bill counters his effort.
Despite over 50 witnesses present for the hearing, including survivors of child sex slavery, all but three supported the passage of the bill.
Dr. Karen Pennington, the State Director for Concerned Women for America, submitted a written letter as testimony stating that “the issue of child sex trafficking and prostitution has seen explosive growth in our country from $500 million to $150 billion per year.” According to Dr. Pennington, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation cites that “a child is bought or sold for sex every two minutes – every day in this country.”
“The victim has a mandatory life-long sentence of multiple traumas, PTSD, and mental and behavioral difficulties. I ask you, why would you NOT want to pass this bill to protect our children? It is the greatest fear of parents and grandparents that justice would not be served to the perpetrators of this crime,” testified Dr. Pennington.
One of the most troubling things that I’ve seen so far as a legislator was the Democrats’ party-line opposition on Thursday in committee, for HB24-1092
Minimum Sentence Crimes against Prostituted Childrenhttps://t.co/Xmhu48qrkK
Hearing every Democrat on the committee justify why… pic.twitter.com/nMoNPbgby0— Representative Ryan Armagost (@RepRyanArmagost) February 17, 2024
Colorado Representative Scott Bottoms Confirms That People Are Buying 1-5 Year Old Children For Sex
He Says “Almost all the time, they get off on probation after buying a child and raping a little child.”
“These are the times that I am discouraged about my job as a… pic.twitter.com/X46Smgn6lc
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 22, 2024
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