State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) today called on the California Senate to restore bill language that would ban dangerous criminals, including convicted sex offenders, from holding public office in California. Senator Valladares called on her colleagues to accept her amendments to AB 2691, which would have closed a loophole in the bill allowing convicted sex offenders, including people convicted of crimes against children, to hold public office, including serving on school boards in California. Senate Democrats rejected them. Click here to watch Sen. Valladares debate in favor of the amendment. Earlier this summer, the bill's definition of sexual assault was quietly narrowed to cover only Tier 3 sex offenders, those required to register for life. Tier 1 and Tier 2 sex offenders were carved out entirely, leaving them free to run for office and serve in positions of public trust. “AB 2691 originally did what common sense demands: bar convicted criminals, including sex offenders from holding public office,” said Sen. Valladares. “Then Sacramento Democrats gutted the bill's protections and created a loophole so large that people convicted of heinous crimes against children can still run for office and serve in positions of public trust, including on school boards.” Senator Valladares introduced the hostile amendments to restore the bill to its original form. Who Sacramento Just Said Can Still Hold Public Office This is not a technicality. Under the current version of AB 2691, individuals convicted of sodomizing, orally copulating, or lewd acts with a minor, would remain eligible to run for and hold public office in California, including on local school boards. These are not minor offenses. These are among the most heinous crimes one person can commit against another, many of them crimes against children. Sacramento Democrats have deliberately carved out a loophole that lets these individuals serve on your city council, your school board, or in your state legislature. "This is not an accident, and it is not a compromise," said Senator Valladares. "Sacramento Democrats deliberately wrote these exemptions into the bill. They had the opportunity today to fix it and restore real protection for our communities. They rejected it. Once again, Sacramento is choosing criminals over the families and victims it is supposed to protect." Californians have been sending a clear message to Sacramento: public safety is the priority. Protect victims. Hold criminals accountable. Keep predators away from positions of power and trust. Time after time, Sacramento's majority party refuses to listen. "I will not stop fighting until every sex offender is barred from holding public office in California," said Senator Valladares. "No loopholes. No carve-outs. No exceptions. Californians deserve elected officials they can trust, and that starts with making sure the people holding office have not committed crimes against children. This fight is not over." | 
