Article By David Lindfield
California Senate Democrats rejected a Republican amendment that would have barred convicted child predators from holding public office, including positions on local school boards.
State Sen. Suzette Valladares (R-CA) pushed the amendment to AB 2691, legislation that would expand the felony convictions that disqualify Californians from elected office to include certain sexual assault and human trafficking offenses.
Valladares argued that changes made to the bill effectively created a loophole by limiting the new prohibition to offenders required to register under California’s most serious sex-offender classification.
“Right now in California, someone convicted of sexually abusing a child can still sit on your school board,” Valladares said on the Senate floor.
“That’s not a loophole. That’s a choice.
“And in my perspective, and most, that’s wrong.”
Her amendment was rejected along party lines, according to her office.
Valladares: ‘Convicted Sex Offenders Don’t Get To Hold Public Office’
Valladares said AB 2691 originally offered a straightforward prohibition before lawmakers narrowed its scope.
“Predators who sexually abuse children have no place holding public office,” Valladares said.
“None, not in the Capitol, not on city council, and definitely not on our school boards.
“AB 2691 was supposed to guarantee that. It started as a simple ban.
“Convicted sex offenders don’t get to hold public office. Period.
“But amendments added this summer gutted it, narrowing the bill to cover only tier three offenders and deliberately exempting tier one and tier two.”
Under the bill’s current language, the prohibition would apply to sexual assault convictions carrying lifetime Tier 3 sex-offender registration.
Those classified as Tier 1 or Tier 2 offenders would remain eligible to seek public office.
Those categories generally require offenders to remain registered for at least 10 or 20 years, respectively, before becoming eligible to petition a court for removal.
Valladares sought to expand the prohibition to cover those offenders as well.
Republican Lawmaker Previously Raised Concerns
The issue surfaced earlier during a Senate committee hearing when state Sen. Steven Choi (R-CA) questioned Assemblywoman Dawn Addis (D-CA), the bill’s author, about why people convicted of certain sexual offenses involving minors could remain eligible for elected office.
Addis did not directly address the specific offenses Choi raised but defended the legislation as a significant expansion of protections for survivors.
“We’re doing a first in the nation bill that would protect the public trust of survivors and would make sure that survivors are really in the lead,” Addis said.
“Happy to continue working with the committee or others if there are other kinds of crimes folks feel need to be addressed.
“But at the moment, I feel like we have a really important bill that is nation-leading, that will uplift survivors and enhance public trust here in California.”
Democrat Claims Broader Ban Would Go Too Far
Far-left state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-CA), the Democrat chairman of the committee considering the legislation, argued against using all three levels of California’s sex-offender registry as grounds for automatically barring someone from public office.
Wiener said the registry has historically included both “sexually violent predator[s]” and people convicted of less serious offenses.
As an example, Wiener cited “a gay guy who had sex in a park or in a car and got arrested.”
“Sex offender registry is not punishment,” Wiener said.
“It is a tool for law enforcement to be able to monitor people who may potentially cause a risk.
“And when we use the sex offender registry as a proxy for anything else, we get into problems.”
Valladares argued that when it comes to convicted sex offenders holding positions of public trust, particularly those involving children, the question should be straightforward.
‘This One Isn’t Complicated for Me’
“I’m a mom. This one isn’t complicated for me,” Valladares said following the vote.
“Today, 40 senators had the chance to say convicted sex offenders should NEVER hold public office in California.
“Ten Republicans stood up to vote for what is right.
“My amendments would have closed the door.
“No loopholes. No exceptions,” she continued
“No convicted sex offenders serving in positions of public trust, including on our school boards.
“Protecting our kids should NEVER be partisan.
“I’m deeply disappointed, and I’m not done fighting.”
The rejected amendment leaves AB 2691’s narrower prohibition intact, meaning the proposed ban would apply to qualifying Tier 3 offenders while people falling into the state’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 classifications would not automatically be barred from seeking elected office.
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