In a surprising and controversial move, the California Senate Appropriations Committee has halted Assembly Bill 3080 (AB 3080), a bill that sought to protect minors from accessing online pornography. The bill, authored by Assemblyman Juan Alanis (R-Modesto), had garnered unanimous bipartisan support throughout its journey in the legislature, aiming to safeguard California’s children from online pornography by requiring pornography websites to take reasonable steps to keep kids off their sites.
Despite passing unanimously in the California Assembly and receiving no opposition in the Senate Judiciary Committee, AB 3080 was abruptly halted by the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Fresno). This decision effectively kills the bill.
“The Senate Appropriations Committee must answer for their decision to effectively kill yet another common-sense bill designed to protect our children from harm,” Assemblyman Alanis stated. “My bill, AB 3080, would have protected underage kids against exposure to pornography. This bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support in three separate policy committees and on the Assembly Floor after thorough, good-faith negotiation and compromise. This bill deserved a vote from the full Senate.”
“Once again, Sacramento lobbyists convinced a select powerful few to side with those who prioritize greed over the safety of our children,” Alanis stated. “They should have made the courageous choice to stand with the overwhelming majority of my colleagues in the legislature who would have voted to protect our kids. Even though I am deeply disappointed by today’s outcome, my resolve to protect our most vulnerable population remains unwavering. I will continue fighting to protect the innocent and provide a voice for both children and parents across California.”
The California Family Council is particularly shocked by the sudden death of AB 3080 in the Senate Appropriations Committee after a watered-down version of the bill passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee without incident. Oddly enough, Senator Caballero voted for the bill as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the beginning of July. But something happened by the time the legislature returned from their summer recess when AB 3080 was already on the Senate floor getting ready to be voted on. On August 6, for some unknown reason, the bill was reassigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with the bill analysis citing “unknown potential” court costs.
This raises suspicions about undue influence from powerful government leaders and lobbying groups, such as Sacramento-based Corbin and Kaiser, which represent interests staunchly opposed to the bill, including San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: PrivacyRights.org, and the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation. The Senate Appropriations Committee put the bill on its suspense file and then left it there on Thursday, essentially killing the bill without a public committee vote. This all suggests the involvement of significant external pressures, which Senator Caballero, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, failed to stand up to. (Watch Danielle Kando-Kaiser testify against AB 3080 on behalf of Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and the Electronic Frontier Foundation last Monday)
Greg Burt, Vice President of California Family Council, condemned the influence of the pornography industry and its lobbyists in swaying the legislative process. “The billions in profits the pornography industry enjoys have turned them cold to the immense harm they’re inflicting on our kids,” Burt said. “The fact that a bill like AB 3080, designed to protect minors, was killed despite bipartisan support, shows just how powerful these forces are in Sacramento. The safety of our children should always come before profit, but sadly, it seems that money talks louder than common sense in this state.”
AB 3080 was an expansion of the Parent’s Accountability and Child Protection Act, a law that requires businesses in California to verify the age of purchasers when selling age-restricted products, like pornography. AB 3080 aimed to extend these protections to the digital realm, ensuring that pornography websites would be held accountable if they didn’t make reasonable steps to keep minors from accessing their material.
The California Family Council urges Californians to stand up against the influence of the pornography industry and demand that their elected representatives prioritize the safety and well-being of children over the interests of powerful lobbyists. “We must continue to fight for the protection of our children and push back against those who would place profits above the innocence of our youth,” Burt added.
