Bill aimed at McClellan put on hold until January

 

As the 2007 legislature session came to an end last week, the Democrat controlled legislature failed to hear Assemblyman Cameron Smyth’s “Surrogate Stalker” Bill. 

 

Smyth was clearly dissatisfied that the bill was stalled. “We worked very hard to put together responsible legislation which would protect our children from pedophiles like Jack McClellan only to have Senate Democratic Leadership hold the bill in committee without so much as a hearing,” commented Smyth.  

 

Last month, after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had signed the Assembly “Surrogate Stalker”Bill (534), Schwarzenegger made it clear that he too is a big supporter of this bill. "My single greatest priority as governor is to protect the safety and well-being of all Californians, particularly our smallest, most vulnerable residents – our children.  Sexually violent predators pose a serious threat to public safety and we must take every necessary step to eliminate that threat," Governor Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

[view:node_ad=5]Schwarzenegger also said the bill would, "close a loophole that allows individuals to post information that enables predators to stalk and harm children."

By passing the “Surrogate Stalker” Bill, stalking, taking pictures of, and rating young children would be illegal. 
Currently, AB 534 is in Senate Rules committee.  This urgency bill will be referred (from Rules committee) to the appropriate policy committee where the bill will be heard and voted on.  AB 534 is co-authored by Assembly members Nicole Para, Todd Spitzer and Sharon Runner. 

 Despite the setback, Smyth says that he won’t stop here.  “I look forward to working to get this bill signed into law as soon as we resume legislative session in January,”