Calif. Sex Worker Bill Seeks Changes to Pandering Statute (XBIZ)

Read the full article by Rhett Pardon at XBIZ.com

UPDATE (Thursday afternoon) — The Free Speech Coalition today called new “pandering” legislation “reprehensible” and urged members and supporters to voice their opposition to California Senate Bill 1204.

SACRAMENTO — A California bill that aims to broaden the definition of “pandering” is wending its way through the Legislature.

Introduced in February, California Senate Bill 1204 will be weighed before the state Senate Committee on Public Safety in its first public discussion on Tuesday, April 17, at the state Capitol in Sacramento. The measure will be one of 16 bills discussed at the hearing.

Introduced by state Sen. Patricia Bates, it is unknown as to exactly why the lawmaker introduced the bill. An office aide to Bates declined to discuss aspects of the bill with XBIZ.

What is for sure, however, is that the bill makes huge changes that could potentially ensnare more criminal defendants when it comes to sex work. SB 1204 specifically amends California’s statute on pandering by seeking to cast a wider net, making it easier to charge individuals who act as third parties.