Sacramento leader’s sex solicitation bill kicks up a storm in the state Capitol
Freshman Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento, was abandoned by most of her party Thursday morning over a controversial section of a crime bill that has animated Republicans since last year.
Although Krell’s bill, Assembly Bill 379, was chiefly about recriminalizing loitering to buy sex, and creating a victim’s fund, she had added a provision that would increase penalties for people who solicit, or exchange money or goods for, sex with a 16-or 17-year-old minor.
The provision had been carved out of a bill authored by state Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, last year, and Krell, a seasoned prosecutor, brought it back. Grove signaled her approval by signing on as a co-author to the bill.
However, the Assembly Committee on Public Safety again didn’t approve of the solicitation piece, and amended it out. Democrats have argued there are a number of existing laws that categorize sex with minors as a felony, and the legislation, they say, could criminalize people who aren’t involved in sex trafficking.
“The problem with Assemblymember Krell’s bill in its original form is you would treat that scenario, an 18-year-old exactly the same as a 50-year-old trafficker of children,” said Assemblymember Nick Schultz, D-Burbank, who chairs the committee.
“I’m not saying that one should have a consequence and the other should not, but it’s imperative that the law be just and that we account for differences in circumstance, for each case.”
However, Assembly Republicans used the choice as an opportunity to berate Democrats for falling out of line with public sentiment.
“They didn’t cave to logic or evidence. They caved to fringe activists,” said Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, in a statement on Tuesday. “They watered down the bill and left teenagers exposed.”
Grove also issued a statement Thursday afternoon, calling Assembly Democrats “extremist.”
“Why can’t extremist Assembly Democrats agree to protect minor children from sex predators? It shouldn’t be this hard!” she said.
She expressed gratitude for Krell, who she said is “uniquely qualified to lead on this issue.”
The outcry led Gov. Gavin Newsom to weigh in Tuesday night.
“The law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same — as a felony, regardless of the intended victim’s age. Full stop,” he said in a statement.
The issue came to a head on Thursday morning. The Assembly floor session, which typically starts at 9 a.m., was delayed for more than an hour as Assembly Democrats attempted to manage an expected Republican maneuver to pass the bill in its original form.
In the end, Democrats united behind a solution that would permit Schultz and Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, to continue working on the solicitation question, and in so doing, they removed Krell as author of the bill.
“I think that Assemblymember Krell identified an important issue, something that we have to tackle, but the solution has to be right,” said Schultz, in a press gathering with other Democrats — notably not including Krell — after the floor session.
He said he would work with Nguyen over the next few weeks to identify a next step, and amend the bill “with more specific language.”
Krell was one of the few Democrats who voted against handing the bill over to Schultz and Nguyen.
“I want one thing,” Krell said, in comments on the floor. “I don’t care whether my name is on the bill, but I would proudly support it if it includes protections for 16 to 17-year-olds, if it treats them as victims, because they truly are.”
Republicans stood by Krell.
“Stripping her name from the bill without her consent isn’t just disrespectful,” Grove said. “It’s a clear sign that Democratic leadership is out of touch with the seriousness of this crisis.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM.
