Voices for Voices®

California’s Solution to Human Trafficking is Unbelievably Stupid | Ep 297

• Founder of Voices for Voices®, Justin Alan Hayes • Season 4 • Episode 297

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California’s Solution to Human Trafficking is Unbelievably Stupid | Ep 297

We explore California's troubling approach to human trafficking laws, focusing on Assembly Bill 379 which would transform the buying and selling of humans from a misdemeanor to a felony but remains unsigned by Governor Newsom despite years of advocacy.

• San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan has fought for 10 years to change California law on human trafficking
• Current California law makes purchasing minors for sexual exploitation only a misdemeanor—"like buying a slice of pizza"
• Assembly Bill 379 would make trafficking a felony and increase resources for victims' mental health and shelter services
• The bill has been sitting on Governor Newsom's desk for years without action
• Call the governor's office at 916-445-2841 to urge passage of Assembly Bill 379
• We extend an open invitation to Governor Newsom to discuss this important legislation on our show

Give us the big thumbs up, subscribe, like, share, and follow—all free things that help us continue reaching more individuals on our quest to help 3 billion people.

Chapter Markers

0:00 Welcome and Mission Overview

4:04 San Diego DA on Human Trafficking

7:44 Assembly Bill 379 Explained

13:10 Call to Action for California Governor Gavin Newsom

18:09 Priority Question: Menendez vs Trafficking

32:59 Invitation and Episode Closing

#GavinNewsom #CaliforniaPolitics #HumanTrafficking #CriminalJusticeReform #CaliforniaLaw #FelonyCharges #AdvocacyAgainstTrafficking #SocialJusticeIssues #EndHumanTrafficking #PolicyChange #CaliforniaGovernment #VictimRights #LegislativeAction #PublicSafetyDebate #CommunityAwareness #California #ChildrenNotForSale #justiceforsurvivors #justice4survivors #VoicesforVoices #VoicesforVoicesPodcast #JustinAlanHayes #CaliforniaforAll #JustinHayes #help3billion #TikTok #Instagram #truth #factoverfictionmatters #transparency #VoiceForChange #HealingTogether

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Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Hi everyone, this is Justin again at Voices for Voices. Welcome to another episode of our show. We are grateful, thankful for you joining us on this episode, as well as all of our over 290 plus episodes, which we recommend that you take a look at and I bet you'll be able to find at least one other episode that draws an interest for you and we're grateful and thankful for all the love and support that you and others have given us to help us persevere through some tumultuous, some rough waters, and it's because of you that we're making it through and we just. You know words really can't describe how much we appreciate each and every one of you that has been a part of Voices for Voices, whether you've watched or listened for a millisecond to one of our shows, if you've donated your hard-earned money we are a 501c3. And if you just supported and support our mission to have people like yourselves and others share their voice or a voice of somebody that they know that's what it's all about is helping as many people as possible, and we can't do that without you. So if you can give us the big thumbs up, subscribe like, share, follow all those are free things to do. They're easy to do and it helps us be able to continue reaching more individuals on our quest to help 3 billion people. Over the course of my lifetime and beyond, the impact that we're making the individuals, the groups, the organizations, dignitaries, not only here in the United States but across the world it's just really incredible. So thank you for making what we are, voices for Voices what we Are.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And we did an earlier episode with the San Diego County District Attorney, Summer Stephan, and that was a very, very powerful interview. I would recommend going back and watching or listening to that Very knowledgeable, very succinct, very specific with what the topics that we covered and talked through. And one of those big topics is, you know, sex, human trafficking happening in San Diego County and other parts of California and other parts of the United States and other parts of the world. But she was specifically talking about San Diego County big event, Comic-Con. It's just wrapping up here today. Earlier today it wrapped up and the huge event brings people from a lot of walks of life, from a lot of places across the United States as well, as it draws people from across the world and with large events comes the potential of crime and things like that to occur, and her big message was, and still is, not just for Comic-Con it just so happens that Comic-Con San Diego has taken place when we did our interview and when it dropped, but she's talking about all year round that if you're buying and selling children, like she said in the interview, you're buying and selling a piece of pizza and the state of California only gives a slap on the wrist. And a slap on the wrist is really nothing when you think of what individuals do and the activity that they undertake when they are buying and selling people, specifically minors under the age of 18, 16, 17-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 12. There are just people out there that have done that and we hope that it doesn't happen ever again. It just seems that it still does.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And DA Summer Stephan was mentioning how she supports I believe it is called the Assembly Bill 379. And so this is in the state of California. We would like to see this across the United States and across the world, but for the talks and the ideas and comments for our show today, we're going to be talking about specifically California. And so what Assembly Bill 379 in the state of California is, if you don't know, so Assembly Bill, so I'll call it AB for short. Sometimes that just means assembly bill. So AB 379 is and will protect our children from human trafficking, and I'm going to quote the DA's office in San Diego County here. End quote In California children and teens are bought for sex and laws and they do not sufficiently protect them.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Assembly Bill 379 will protect our children by holding those who buy teens for sex accountable and increasing resources for human trafficking victims. It directly supports mental health and shelter services for victims. By passing AB 379, California draws a clear line protecting our children, stopping buyers supporting victims. In one way, you can help support the passage of this Assembly Bill 379, which, oh, by the way, sits on the desk of California Governor Gavin Newsom and according to our episode of San Diego County DA Summer Steffen, this legislation has been sitting on California Governor Gavin Newsom's desk for quite some time Sounds like years. That's a long time to be sitting on the desk of anybody, let alone the California governor, whose support and signature could help bring this bill to fruition. If you or somebody you know want to call the governor and urge him to sign Assembly Bill 379 to end human trafficking, you can do so at area code 916-445-2841. That is 916-445-2841.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And again to reiterate from our episode, which I believe it was the episode right Number-wise of ours. I believe it was the one right before this. So if you look in the 290s of our episodes you'll find that interview very powerful, very moving. Wish we had more time. Da Summer Stephan just has so much energy, so much passion about this and for this, and so I'll just reiterate what one of her comments was during our episode fighting for the last 10 years to change the law in California so that you know, buying of human beings for sexual exploitation, especially who are children, you know, 16, 17 year olds that can't consent under the law.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

But our law as it stands right now makes it a misdemeanor to purchase them like they were a hamburger or a slice of pizza. That is very moving, and so we urge California Governor Gavin Newsom to pass this, to put your autograph, your signature, on this bill to make it legal, to make these changes where it would make the purchasing and selling more of human beings, regardless of the age, it would make that a felony, not a misdemeanor, and felonies are. When we look at degrees of crime, felonies are a higher degree, meaning they're more serious, and so the potential penalties can be much greater with the felony than with the misdemeanor. And so that takes us to what one of our most recent TikTok videos was about, and we're going to continue to share this, we're going to continue the invitation, and so, for those that haven't checked out our TikTok video and it's also YouTube short it's also on our Rumble channel, voices for Voices, as well, as we posted on Facebook and Instagram and we posted the link on, as well as threads that's been out there. I don't know if it's quite, probably about 24 hours it's been out by the time we get this episode processed and we drop it in that video. We do a little bit of that.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Summarizing that we just did here on this show, this particular episode about Assembly Bill 379, how it has been sitting on California Governor Gavin Newsom's desk for, according to San Diego County, da Somerset and many, many years. For whatever reason, california Governor Gavin Newsom has not signed it, so I don't know if somebody needs to give him a pen, maybe the pens he has, they're not working, they're out of ink, and so I would ask a staffer or two to find a pen that has ink, that is able to work, that is able to work, that is able to have California Governor Gavin Newsom write his name, his autograph, on this legislation, assembly Bill 379. So this is sitting on Gavin Newsom's desk.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

A lot of times we'll talk about different ideas of what we would prefer, what we would like changed. We would prefer what we would like changed, and so it starts with the idea or the reason, the why, the why Like, why are we doing this? And then we get to the point of okay, what's the legislative process as we go through, do we start to need signatures? Then do we need to vote on it or do we need the local city council, township council? Do we need the local city council township council? Do we need the Senate and House for a particular state You're talking about the United States specifically right now or is it the case like this, where all those hoops have been jumped through, all those boxes have been checked and the last box was checked for this in the state of California is for California Governor Gavin Newsom to put his autograph on his legislation? It's on his death.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And so there I think, as a human being, not just what San Diego County DA Summer Stephan thinks, but there's a lot of other people that think the same way that buying and selling of humans for any reason, especially minors that are under the age of 18. But even if they are 18 or 19 or 21,. The age in the end doesn't matter. If you're buying and selling a human being, that's called trafficking and that should be a felony everywhere, not a misdemeanor like it is in the state of California. And so that's why we're spending so much time talking about this topic, because I can't get over the fact that this legislation is sitting on the governor's desk who says and actually on his webpage and different social media has the hashtag California for all.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Well, I would argue and say Okay, gavin, okay, governor Gavin Newsom, okay, state of California, state of California spoken. So when you say California for all, well, all of California has spoken and said we think the buying and selling of humans needs to be a felony and we needed to crack down on it. But yet we have one person, one California Governor Gavin Newsom, who you know I've tried to try to cut some slack to him because I don't know every single inner working. Try to cut some slack to him Because I don't know every single inner working of this. But after speaking to San Diego County DA Summer Stephan, who is an awesome person, passionate, wants to help people, and it was a blessing to have her spend any time with us. And so after our conversation I learned more about Assembly Bill 379 and how it sat on the governor's desk for so long, for years, that there is still the hope California Governor Gavin Newsom does what we think is the right thing, which is to sign those pieces of paper and pass this Assembly Bill 379 in the state of California to make it not just illegal to buy and sell human beings, no matter what age, no matter what for, but to make it a felony and not a misdemeanor. And so what I'd like to really hone in now are two things, two areas. The first is AB 379 is well known to a lot of people in the state of California, including the governor, and so it'd be hard to think the California governor Gavin Newsom says, well, I need time to review this. To think the California governor Gavin Newsom says why need time to review this? Because it's been so long, it's been years.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Just to give an example, the Menendez brothers right, it's a hot topic of you know. Should they be resentenced and the amount of time that they served. They should be released. And again, we try not to get political on Voices for Voices. We try not to talk about these particular issues. But when it comes to the Menendez brothers, let's call it. Let's say, the last two years that this became a hot topic with the Netflix special and people, people were like, oh well, maybe they were sexually abused by their parents. Well, does that make it right that they murdered their parents? And because the law when they were sentenced didn't include certain elements. And so now some people in some circle are saying, well, we think they should be released. They've done their time and they should be released. And so that topic again, let's just call it two years. I don't know how long, but it's been in the news heavily the last year and it may have been in the news two years ago, I'm not quite sure when this Netflix special came out ago. I'm not quite sure when this Netflix special came out. It doesn't matter to me, but it does for this case.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And so I look at this Menendez topic, the Menendez brothers topic, and then I look at Assembly Bill 379. And from what I can see nationally, I look at Assembly Bill 379. And from what I can see nationally I don't live in the state of California. But again, I talk to a lot of people and quite a few, and DA Som staffed in San Diego County, one of the biggest county jurisdictions, not only in the state of California but in the entire United States. And so when she says that this bill, this Assembly Bill 379, has been sitting on California Governor Gavin Newsom's desk for several years and nothing.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And then we look at the Menendez Brothers, which is a hot topic, netflix special gets attention and it seems like there's more action on that, on the Menendez brothers, and you know that they should be able to be back in society, that they're not a risk and all these other things. And so first I would ask California Governor Gavin Newsom. And so first I would ask California Governor Gavin Newsom, where are your priorities? What makes two brothers who committed crimes, who are convicted of crimes, what makes two brothers, how to handle that, how much time you're putting into that as governor, versus Assembly Bill 379, which, again, essentially, has been sitting on your desk, mr Governor of California, gavin Newsom, for years. And so those two things I look at the timing the Menendez brothers, this topic and I look at the timing and the time that Assembly Bill 379 has been sitting on your desk and you haven't done a damn thing.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And I don't like to swear, I don't like to speak like that, but I've had it. I've had it with this, I've had it with people like yourself with all due respect, california Governor Gavin Newsom of sitting in a place of power or standing, but being in a place of power and where you can truly make a big difference and truly help people. And you haven't done a damn thing to do that, because you just let Assembly Bill 379 just sit on your desk when you come into work each day. Do you see it? Are you reminded of it every day? Or do you have it in like? You have it stored away somewhere with the like in the pile of? Well, we're not going to sign this.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

So first, right, you need a pen. So we're trying to help you there, california Governor Gavin Newsom, we're asking your staff or yourself to find a pen that's working and if you need to practice writing your signature on blank paper, maybe you haven't signed your name a lot. We do a lot of things electronically these days, so maybe you need to't signed your name a lot. You know we do a lot of things electronically these days. So maybe you need to practice signing your name, giving an autograph. Maybe it's been a minute, but go ahead, do some practicing.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

You got the new pen or pens and then you go to wherever Assembly Bill 379 is sitting, you call the press conference and you talk a little bit about what Assembly Bill 379 is to the press and then you have a big signing event. Big signing event and you can literally be a hero by doing this. But you haven't the Menendez brothers. That's more important to you than strengthening the buying and selling of human beings, of making that a misdemeanor to now a felony. And we can think of this right, if we can think of this right, if the person does not come out right. There's two sides of an issue. There's yes and no, this or that, whatever you want to refer to in this particular example. So Assembly Bill 379, you wrote two options, right, and you've had two options for years, and those two options are to sign it and have that go into effect, or to not sign it and just let the law be what the law is, continue making the buying and selling of human beings in your state a misdemeanor.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

So we think of okay, well, one year, okay, maybe it takes a year to review everything. Okay, we'll give you that Two years. Okay, you're now getting two years. Okay, you're now getting more and more information, formulating your thoughts, you're talking with your staff, your administration. But when it gets to year three and more, and you haven't done a damn thing about it and you just let that sit, that's you saying it's okay, it's okay in my state, it's okay in my state for people to buy and sell human beings, especially minors under the age of 18. And so you're making your choice.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Now you could think and say, well, I haven't made a position. Well, yes, you have, yes, you have You're. Yes, you have, yes, you have you're. You know better. So if you're not for it, then you're against it, straight up, full stop. And so I want to know why, full stop. And so I want to know why, why? Why is this okay? You can't say you didn't know about this. And again, one year, two years, anything past that, you're agreeing and saying, well, the laws we have on the books are quite fine, how they are, as they relate to buying and selling of human beings, human trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, any trafficking. Like District Attorney Summer Stephan, san Diego County, said, it's like buying and selling a piece of pizza or a hamburger or a veggie burger. So we want to know why. We want a public statement.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

Mr California Governor Gavin Newsom, where do you stand on Assembly Bill 379? And why haven't you made it a priority? It's sitting on your desk and so I already solved the problems. You get a pen that works. So if you don't have one at work, understandable. Have your staffers maybe go to the store, buy several pens, test them out, bring them to your office, have a blank piece of paper and if you forgot how to sign your name, you can practice and then you can get an assembly bill 379 and you can sign and date it at a press conference and you can look like a hero. So that's what we're asking for.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

And also, California Governor Gavin Newsom, we are extending an invitation to be a guest on a future episode of our Voices for Voices show where we can have that discussion, we can have that further dialogue to understand your point of view, why this bill has not been signed, assembly Bill 379 has not been signed, why it's been there for so many years, why valuing a human being is not important to you as the Menendez brothers situation and so we have that open invitation situation and so we have that open invitation. So you just let us know, you reach out, have a staffer, reach out, we'll get your availability and we'll make it happen. So that's first. And then, secondly, I'll be more than happy to come on your podcast this is Gavin Newsom podcast. I'll fly out, I'll be a guest on your show, we'll have a discussion on your show. Everybody knows, everybody in the state of California knows, and any other national ambitions of running for president of the United States in the future, so people can just understand your thought process.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

I think it's healthy to have a dialogue and it'll be a professional discussion. We're not going to call anybody names or we're going to just have just a professional discussion about Assembly Bill 379 and your stance on it and why it hasn't been a priority for years, but yet the Menendez brothers has been. So let's make it happen. California Governor Gavin Newsom, we gave the floor, we gave the show to San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, and we'd like to give you that same opportunity and then again I'll reciprocate that and come on your show and we can continue that discussion.

Voices for VoicesⓇ, Justin Alan Hayes:

I think it's healthy for citizens, individuals of California, because you say right, your hashtag is California for all. Right, your hashtag is California for all. So it kind of seems to me that all of California has agreed that Assembly Bill 379 is the right way forward in this topic, but there's one person that has not, and that's you, so let's have that discussion. I want to thank everybody for joining us on this episode of the show. I'm the host, founder of Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes, and again we thank you for your love and support for us, for the show, and we look forward to the feedback from California Governor Gavin Newsom and his team on this. And, as I like to say, let's make it happen. So we'll see you next time, everybody.

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