Today, the Democrat-controlled Senate Public Safety Committee rejected Kayleigh’s Law (SB 421), a law proposed by Senator Suzette Valladares (R - Santa Clarita) that would implement reasonable and well-established protections for victims of violent crimes. After the Democrats attempted to water down important aspects of the law, then ultimately rejected it, Sen Valladares vowed to keep trying to work with colleagues to eventually get the bill passed and signed into law.
“Once again the Democrat majority has landed on the side of violent criminals at the expense of crime victims,” said Sen Valladares. “Despite the voters’ mandate for increased public safety and stronger protections for victims, the Democrat majority in the Public Safety Committee has rejected this commonsense measure that would protect victims of violent crimes from repeated trauma by their perpetrators.
“Kayleigh’s Law is a well-established measure, already enacted in six other states, and serves as a crucial, commonsense step in supporting survivors on their path to healing. Yet, once again, California Democrats have chosen to prioritize criminals over their victims.”
As written, Kayleigh’s Law allows a judge the discretion to issue a lifetime restraining order against a defendant at the time of sentencing for a serious felony, a violent felony, or a felony sex offense. Current California law allows for temporary restraining orders that differ in length depending on the crime. In these cases, survivors have to repeatedly face their abusers over and over in court proceedings to continue to receive basic protections, creating unnecessary trauma.
Under Kayleigh’s Law, survivors of some of the most egregious crimes – attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, child molestation, human trafficking of a minor – would be able to begin their journey to healing without the fear of retaliation, continued violence, and harassment.
In the final hours before the hearing, Committee Democrats recommended amendments to the bill that would remove protections for victims of serious and violent crimes like attempted murder, kidnapping, and human trafficking, only leaving victims of sexual crimes eligible for lifetime protections. They also attempted to eliminate the lifetime restraining orders entirely.
“The suggested amendments by the Committee Democrats are a non-starter and would eliminate important protections for victims of some of the most violent and horrific crimes,” said Valladares. “But I’m not giving up, the protections in Kayleigh’s law are too important to abandon. I will continue to work with my colleagues to try to reach common ground on establishing vital safeguards for California’s violent crime victims.”
Kayleigh’s Law is in statute in Arizona, Wisconsin, Colorado, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, and is working its way through the legislative process in Oregon, Missouri, and Wyoming.