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News out of the state capitol. Governor Gavin Newsom is getting involved in the latest fight over child sex trafficking. Thanks for joining us at 4. I'm Lisa Gonzalez.

News out of the state capitol. Governor Gavin Newsom is getting involved in the latest fight over child sex trafficking. Thanks for joining us at 4. I'm Lisa Gonzalez.

And I'm Curtis Mayer. The governor's office is speaking up after lawmakers today blocked an effort to crack down on the buyers of the child sex trafficking industry, specifically those who buy 16 and 17-year-olds for sex. Let's get to KCRA 3 Capitol correspondent Ashley Zavala, who was first to report the governor's involvement.

And I'm Curtis Mayer. The governor's office is speaking up after lawmakers today blocked an effort to crack down on the buyers of the child sex trafficking industry, specifically those who buy 16 and 17-year-olds for sex. Let's get to KCRA 3 Capitol correspondent Ashley Zavala, who was first to report the governor's involvement.

Curtis, this is now the third time the governor's office has gotten involved in this kind of fight between Democrats over this issue. The governor signaling his support for that proposal to make it an automatic felony to purchase a 16 year old or 17 year old for sex. In a statement exclusively to us this afternoon, really just within the last hour, the governor's office said, quote,

Curtis, this is now the third time the governor's office has gotten involved in this kind of fight between Democrats over this issue. The governor signaling his support for that proposal to make it an automatic felony to purchase a 16 year old or 17 year old for sex. In a statement exclusively to us this afternoon, really just within the last hour, the governor's office said, quote,

the law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same as a felony, regardless of the intended victim's age, full stop. This comes after the Assembly Public Safety Committee this morning blocked this proposal from moving forward that targets the buyers of the child sex trafficking industry. It's written by Assemblymember...

the law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same as a felony, regardless of the intended victim's age, full stop. This comes after the Assembly Public Safety Committee this morning blocked this proposal from moving forward that targets the buyers of the child sex trafficking industry. It's written by Assemblymember...

A Democrat who has spent the last two decades working on this issue. Now, before getting elected to the Assembly, she was a prosecutor for the California Department of Justice. But Democratic leaders say they have concerns about possible unintended consequences with this, how the automatic felony for the purchase of the teens could impact the LGBTQ community, people of color, and older teens.

A Democrat who has spent the last two decades working on this issue. Now, before getting elected to the Assembly, she was a prosecutor for the California Department of Justice. But Democratic leaders say they have concerns about possible unintended consequences with this, how the automatic felony for the purchase of the teens could impact the LGBTQ community, people of color, and older teens.

Here's what the chairman of the committee, Assemblyman Nick Schultz and Krell, had to say right after the hearing. are forced to stand. People keep asking that. Why can't Democrats immediately get on board with something like this?

Here's what the chairman of the committee, Assemblyman Nick Schultz and Krell, had to say right after the hearing. are forced to stand. People keep asking that. Why can't Democrats immediately get on board with something like this?

Yeah, so I would emphasize two things. First of all, the exploitation of any children, as we heard in there in the comments I made in the dais, it's already unlawful to do anything like that in the state of California.

Yeah, so I would emphasize two things. First of all, the exploitation of any children, as we heard in there in the comments I made in the dais, it's already unlawful to do anything like that in the state of California.

What we're talking about is a very specific, narrow issue of whether or not the stiff penalties that apply in, say, a human trafficking context should apply in a non-human trafficking context involving a 16- or 17-year-old. As you know, under Senate Bill 1414, which passed last year, that's a mandatory sex offender registration.

What we're talking about is a very specific, narrow issue of whether or not the stiff penalties that apply in, say, a human trafficking context should apply in a non-human trafficking context involving a 16- or 17-year-old. As you know, under Senate Bill 1414, which passed last year, that's a mandatory sex offender registration.

And that doesn't mean that we shouldn't at least entertain that conversation. But how that might apply to an 18 and 17-year-old in a relationship might be different from what we might see, from what we think about people that are out here trying to get somebody off the blade and exploit them. So I think that these are important conversations we have to have.

And that doesn't mean that we shouldn't at least entertain that conversation. But how that might apply to an 18 and 17-year-old in a relationship might be different from what we might see, from what we think about people that are out here trying to get somebody off the blade and exploit them. So I think that these are important conversations we have to have.

But the thing that we are working with Jay Bhattacharya, the new NIH director on with, as well as Secretary Kennedy, is looking at the gain of function research that in the case of the Wuhan lab, as well as many of these other bio labs around the world, was actually US funded and leads to this dangerous kind of research that in many examples

But the thing that we are working with Jay Bhattacharya, the new NIH director on with, as well as Secretary Kennedy, is looking at the gain of function research that in the case of the Wuhan lab, as well as many of these other bio labs around the world, was actually US funded and leads to this dangerous kind of research that in many examples