Assemblywoman Sharon Runner’s (R-Lancaster) legislation to increase the penalty for providing alcohol to minors failed the Senate Public Safety Committee today on a party-line vote.  Assembly Bill 2967 would have made this crime punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, based on the severity of the case, when a minor is provided alcohol and subsequently kills or severely injures himself or someone else.  The committee also killed Runner’s AB 2304, which would have protected families from modern child pornographers by updating state law to add "commercial computer technicians" to the list of mandatory reporters of child pornography. 

 

"The Senate Public Safety Committee has truly taken a step backwards in the interest of children today," Runner said.  "They are really living up to their true name – the anti public safety committee."

 

Runner introduced Jeffrey’s Law last year in response to an incident in her district involving the death of a 17-year-old, Jeffrey Trylch. In February of 2003, a 41 year-old woman provided alcohol to a group of minors and allowed them to drive off in a Ford Expedition. When the intoxicated 18 year old driver crashed the vehicle after running a stop sign, the aftermath left 11 individuals dead or severely injured including a slain 18 year old adult, and a lifeless 17 year old minor, Jeffrey Trylch. The measure last year, AB 454, died in the Senate Public Safety Committee. However, the issue of underage drinking came to the Assemblywoman’s attention again this year after a CHP officer was killed by an underage drunk driver in Victorville, CA. Runner then reintroduced Jeffrey’s Law and began fighting to get the measure passed again. Jeffrey’s mother, Christine "Tina" Trylch, made another trip to Sacramento, from her Hesperia home, in order to share her story with Committee Members.  Following the hearing, Trylch reflected, "Three years ago I lost my child.  Today, that pain returned because this Committee’s decision will result in other mothers losing children. I don’t know who these Senators represent, but it’s not law-abiding parents."