The Bee endorses a force for California’s 6th Assembly District | Opinion
Sacramento Assemblymember Maggy Krell has quickly made her mark in California’s Capitol. She championed legislation to make it a felony for an adult to solicit a 16-year-old, defying Democratic leadership even after they stripped down her bill. Krell stood firm, and it ultimately prevailed.
On politics and policy, she was right.
Now Krell is running for a second term in the 6th Assembly District, with no serious opposition. This is the kind of race that normally does not rise to the level of an endorsement, the outcome a foregone conclusion.
But Krell deserves a formal endorsement for reasons beyond this race. She is fast emerging as a force to be reckoned with in Sacramento. Her intelligence and calm demeanor are a particularly helpful tonic inside local politics in Sacramento, where disagreements on major issues have created too many political faultlines.
As a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice, Krell’s passion was the protection of children, particularly from sexual exploitation. She was part of a team that went after the illicit website Backpage, which she described as “the world’s largest sex trafficker,” in her book. The efforts shut down the site permanently and led to several prosecutions.
The pursuit of protecting children from sex trafficking should not be a partisan issue, but it sadly became one in 2025. At the time, it was not a felony in California for an adult to solicit sex from minors ages 16-17. Krell and Republican Shannon Grove of Bakersfield moved to close that loophole through Assembly Bill 379.
Normally, when Democratic Party leadership wants a rookie to amend a bill, the newcomer goes along. But Krell resisted pressure to water down protections for 16- and 17-year-olds in her bill, leading Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas to remove her as lead author. The episode drew statewide attention and criticism. AB 379 eventually passed with the protections included, but the process highlighted the challenges Krell faces in navigating legislative politics and working with party leadership.
Krell continues with her focus on protecting children from sexual exploitation. This session she has legislation, Assembly Bill 1946, that would require more vigilant surveillance by social media platforms to prevent the transmission of child sex images. There are times when it makes sense for a state like California to fill a breach in nationwide regulations to take every reasonable step to protect children. Krell is developing the knack for identifying which legal reforms are achievable and effective, and which are not.
Legislating is an art that is normally learned over time. Krell’s background as a prosecutor has served her well in fighting for justice, but as she continues in office, she must also focus on being more than a hard-nosed prosecutor. Building coalitions, finding common ground, and developing a broader policy vision will be essential for Sacramento’s future. Term limits, however, cap a lawmaker’s stay in Sacramento at 12 years. So when a new lawmaker comes along showing the attributes of a veteran, it’s worthy of notice.
There are too many emerging political rivalries in Sacramento. Mayor Kevin McCarty and State Sen. Angelique Ashby, as one example, have a relationship befitting an ultimate fighting channel. The Sacramento City Council and the county Board of Supervisors rarely meet together and have wildly different approaches on major issues like land use and homelessness.
Krell has become a Switzerland inside local politics, someone trying to sort out a problem and open lines of communication. That’s precisely what makes her so valuable.
Sacramento has huge needs in the Capitol. Downtown commerce remains sluggish as the state wavers on return-to-office policies, leaving too many buildings too empty. A downtown Sacramento State campus is somehow supposed to emerge from three now-vacant office buildings.
Krell and her peers in the Sacramento legislative caucus have huge tasks ahead of them. But just like in her old job, we think she’s up for prosecuting the case.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat are editorials, and who writes them?
Editorials represent the collective views of the editorial boards of McClatchy Media’s California opinion teams.
They do not reflect the individual opinions of board members or the views of reporters in the news sections of The Sacramento Bee and its sister publication, the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Reporters do not participate in editorial board deliberations or weigh in on board decisions.
In Sacramento, the board includes Executive Editor Chris Fusco, California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton, opinion writers Robin Epley, Tom Philp, LeBron Antonio Hill, Cathie Anderson and op-ed editor Hannah Holzer.
In San Luis Obispo, it includes Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.
We base our opinions on reporting by our colleagues in the news section, and our own reporting and interviews. Our members attend public meetings, call people and follow-up on story ideas from readers just as news reporters do.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
Tell us what you think
You may or may not agree with our perspective. We believe disagreement is healthy and necessary for a functioning democracy. If you would like to share your own views on events important to California, you may write a letter to the editor (150 words or less) using this form, or email an op-ed (650-750 words) to opinion@sacbee.com. Due to a high volume of submissions, we are not able to publish everything we receive.