The Assembly’s Public Safety Committee today, by a vote of 3 to 4, stopped Assembly Bill 884. Due to the committee’s vote, AB 884 will not receive further consideration.
“This is a great victory for more than 40,000 people who would have been moved from Tier 2, which requires 20 years of registration, to Tier 3, which requires lifetime registration, when the Tiered Registry Law takes effect,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “This positive result came about because more than 75 people testified today in opposition to the bill.”
The Committee’s final vote on AB 884 took place today at about 7 p.m. Two of the three votes cast this evening, by Committee members Quirk and Wicks, followed the lead of Chairman Reginald Jones-Sawyer and voted against the bill.
“In addition to testifying today, many members of the registrant community contributed to the defeat of AB 884 by sending letters and making phone calls to members of the Public Safety Committee,” stated ACSOL President Chance Oberstein.
During today’s hearing, a representative of the California Sex Offender Management Board testified against AB 884 and explained that the Tiered Registry Law passed by the legislature in 2017 is based upon sound public policy and therefore should not be modified at this time. She added that a registrant who has lived in the community for 20 years or longer and has not re-offended has a very low risk of re-offending in the future.
Also during the hearing, the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, made several statements that lack a factual foundation. For example, she said that the “average child molester” harms at least 200 children before he is caught. The author’s sole witness also made false or misleading statements such as there is no treatment available for anyone diagnosed as a pedophile.
In addition to contributing to the stoppage of AB 884, the registrant community today contributed to the successful passage of SB 145 which would provide equal treatment to those participating in voluntary acts so long as the difference in age between the partners was 10 years or less. Because SB 145 was passed today by the Senate Public Safety Committee, it will next be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee on a date to be determined.
Update 4/12:
We have uploaded the hearing video to our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxJiEHpwuHGRaJsRVBPU0qg
In order to protect the privacy of those brave citizens who spoke in opposition to this bill, we are not publishing the public comments portion. Therefore it is in two parts – up to and from the public comments.
“average child molester” harms at least 200 children before he is caught. are u kidding me and she actually said that what a loser
As much as I wanted to be there physically today, it was not possible. I certainly was there in spirit and made numerous phone calls, sent letters, and passed along requests to family and friends to do so, as well! So happy that both bills moved in the right direction! Congrats to everyone who made today a reality!
Thank God there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you Janice and every single person that got involved.
“1’s & 2’s will Fight for the 3’s”
I tell you, I have been to a few of these meetings and or lobbying and to see so many pepole was great! I didn’t felt alone and knew we was all in this together! With the power of many comes the justice for all. Little at a time, becomes big and more wonderful things to come. THANK YOU Janice for all the behind the scenes and paperwork to get things rolling!
I just want to recognize all the moms and wives that spoke up today especially the first couple who brought tears to my eyes as I was driving down the 5 freeway watching the hearing on my cell. I don’t know how anyone could have voted yes for this after listening to their passionate pleas for justice and fairness. I recommend to anyone that hasn’t gone up there for a hearing to do so. There is nothing to be afraid of as I learned today. Sleep well everyone.
Assm. Melendez is a Navy Veteran (having entered the service right out of high school) and has 5 children. One of her pieces of legislation is ACR-52 , California Month of the Military Child which “would declare the month of April 2019 as the Month of the Military Child, and would urge all Californians, local and state leaders, private organizations, and businesses to observe the month by showing appreciation to the children and youth of military and veteran families, including children of the fallen, for standing by their parents and loved ones who are serving or have served as members of the Armed Forces of the United States.”
In other words, recognize the sacrifices that HER children made while THEIR parents made a tax payer funded living in their chosen profession.
All while rolling her eyes at a member of the public who testifies that her young child sees his life directly and negatively impacted by legislation introduced by this very legislator.
This woman is a piece of work!
(I fully expect her to read this web site)
There are still thousands of us who were moved from Tier 1 to Tier 3 at the last second before the tiered registry was passed. As one of those, I feel we were sacrificed in order to still have a tiered registry. I hope it was worth it.
Man I have some real mixed feelings on this shit. I am happy as hell for those that this effects, but at the same time mad as hell that 288.2 and CP are in tier III. I really doubt that this is going to change either. I really do not see anything else happening to change anything after this bill got shot down. The committees are going to be like “we have done enough” kind of crap. Anyways congrats for those that will get relief. Pretty frigging crazy that you can commit a lewd act on a 3 year old and be in tier II, but if you talked about sex and suggested meeting with anyone under 18 for sex or viewed CP pics on the internet you are tier III.
Have a question, do you have to be a protected class for an equal protection action based on being treated differently then other offenders with the same or more serious offenses?
I am so happy that we were successful in stopping AB884, but wish it hadn’t been so close. Tells me that too many legislators are still either ignorant of facts, or choose to ignore them for political gain.
Very grateful for Janice, Chance, Roger, Frank, and the rest of the ACSOL team for their efforts in organizing the opposition.
I personally, specifically, stayed out of the hearing, in the hallway, except to walk in and express opposition, and then walk back out, and now I’m glad I did. If I had heard Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez talk about 200 children molested for every RC, I would have become totally irate.
Also glad that SB145 passed for all those affected by it. I did stay in the hearing room for that; an educational experience.
I wished I could have been there today, but I couldn’t get the time off. Wished it would have been heard on the prior dates, but glad it worked out for both bills.
A huge thank you to everyone who chose to Show Up, Stand Up and Speak Up!
I am basking in our success from today! I am so proud of every one of you who took action to make today a success. If you wrote letters, emailed legislators, called legislators/staffers, stood and said “no” today in the hearing room, or lobbied last month, you should feel great. If you took time off, traveled to Sacramento, or spent funds to make it happen, you deserve thanks from all California registrants and their family members. I THANK YOU! I feel tremendous that I was there to observe the changing tide in California politics. We still have a long way to go, but no longer are we being demeaned and pushed around in the Capitol by ignorant, abusive and hateful legislators. Some still try, but because we have facts, we are good people and we are sincerely committed to our cause, legislators (and their staff members) more often are quietly respecting us and our positions. Stay committed to the cause. Stick together. Be optimistic. Continue to inform and involve your family and friends. We have much more to do. Together, let’s do it!
Re: the comment by a representative of CASOMB (may we have the person’s name?)
How can this person say the current tiering model is based on sound public policy when CP, non-contact, offenders are on tier 3?? Are they the sacrifices to appease the “Legal Industrial Complex”?
I’m deeply grateful, reading this.
Still, the registry itself is bad policy.
It doesn’t reduce crime and it does inflict suffering on registrants and their families.
One day it will end.
I hope I live to see that day.
First and Foremost, I want to thank God! Second, Janice and her whole team. I know I am preaching to the choir when I say I breathed a major sigh of relief today. I contributed cash and letters to the cause, couldn’t be there today, but prayed and hoped and did what I could. A HUGE thank you to each and every one of you for being there in person.
If not for Janice and her team’s efforts over the years to educate the Board and legislators, someone like this clown with her made up “facts” could have swayed a lesser informed person. The fact they voted DOWN the legislation shows the tide is turning.
I would not give up hope, those of you with cp charges, all these common sense legislative progressions have the feeling of a tide turning as well. Doesn’t feel like too long before someone looks at this I bet.
Thank you EVERYONE!!!
“California Sex Offender Management Board testified against AB 884”
What bother having a CSOMB in the 1st place if people don’t listen to them.
They have study RSO and written some great idea to improve RSO’s life. Good thing those 3 people listen and didn’t buy Melissa Melendez’s misleading statements.
“Re: the comment by a representative of CASOMB (may we have the person’s name?)
How can this person say the current tiering model is based on sound public policy when CP, non-contact, offenders are on tier 3?? Are they the sacrifices to appease the “Legal Industrial Complex”?”
Yeah, and I imagine we are the ones they are going to start throwing all the harshest laws on as well. Probably register three four times a year, home raids (compliance checks) every other week, no telling what else. Sure I would probably be happy like the rest if I were them but the fact is everyone is all happy with this because the corrupt politicians and backroom domestic terrorist are throwing them a bone and every one is thanking them like slavering dogs dying of hunger (because they are. In the mean time lets be totally honest here, the least dangerous are the ones getting thrown to the wolfs. Everything everyone that supported this bill are doing is just making it harder to right this wrong and eliminate the registration of people. We are not animals or property, no one should be registered like a dog. Especially the least dangerous and most minor offenses. BS….. I hope all these people that pushed this bill are happy they are letting all the people that actually committed lewd acts with little children (and I mean little children) off the hook while people that have never laid hands on anyone are the ones that are going to being watched and harassed for the rest of their lives. They call it a victory I call it disgusting….. Lets face it, everyone that was convicted and really did commit lewd acts with a child that had not reached estrus do have a mental abnormality and most likely never had treatment and they are the ones that will be removed first. Hate me if you want but it is a fact and I hope these people can sleep at night knowing this. Of course they will though because they are all in on it and can give a shit about justice, fairness or public safety. And I mean everyone that supported this bill in its current form.
Frigging felony sexual batteries reduced, lewd acts with little prepubescent children reduced, while non-contact non-violent are hammered, what the hell is wrong with this world and these people?
Oh yeah baby steps or incremental, yeah right…..
And I am not talking about the ones that committed an offense against a teen who had reached estrus either. Those of the at least 12 and 13 year age who were thrown in with the actual pedophiles. Pedophilia is a disease. Bad judgement is just that bad judgement. Pedophilia and violent behavior such as sexual battery are diseases that need treatment. My god I can just imagine letting the one guy that was at that meeting off the registry and off the hook. Remember him J ? I am sure he will thank you though…. Oh and remember USA stating the registry is what kept him from re-offending, well there you go USA get busy.
Bad part is there was no recommendations to any changes to the tiers. They may be used against the 311 hopefuls. May be used against the change
AB 884 defeated that was the best news I heard today!
Thank you for all who wrote letters or called. Thank you to those who showed up.
They should remove the registration!
Once someone time is served that is it. Murderers don’t have to register.
Once they pay their dues that should be the end of it.
It’s unconstitutional to register your photo, address, license plate number, type of car …etc…they become targets and it is difficult to re-enter society.
Also they lump everyone together whether one committed a much lesser crime. It’s not fair.
Thank you
It was great being there!
It was easy.
It was fun.
And it was great being with supportive comrades and colleagues…..
and ….. WE WON!!
TWICE!!! 🤗👍
Yesterday was an incredible success. We had a win on two bills and I was able to be a part of both. #AB 884 – I bit my tongue as Melendez and her witness spoke lies to the crowd and she was completely caught off guard by the masses of people that came forward to oppose her bill. The vote is not as close as it looks. In my view, it is a 5 to 3, split on party lines. The one Democrat not voting, is a “NO” vote, as the bill requires affirmative votes to move forward, “NO” and “Not Voting” make the bill fail. #SB 145 – we were able to fulfill a promise I made to Senator Weiner’s Staffer – that we would show up to support his bill. They are very grateful for our help and I hope they will help us in the future. All of this is a step in the right direction. I don’t think any registered person believes this battle is over. Correcting the deficiencies of the current Tiered System should be our goal. We had successful lobbying this year (I think that is the first time I can say it was truly a success), we stopped a bad bill and got a good bill passed. We made a positive impact on the Legislature. We showed up in mass; we had people who made the time to call and write – they know we have political clout. But we still need more people to be part of this action. Another bill yesterday (AB 392) had hundreds of people show up to speak out. It took over an hour for them to go one at a time to the microphone and state their name and support. WE NEED THAT if we are to get the Tiered Registry bill changed. If you stayed home or didn’t write or call because these bills didn’t affect you, you are wrong to do so. They very much did. Establishing ACSOL as a strong coalition is essential to getting the changes we want and forestalling changes we don’t want. These two bills made no changes to my status on the registry. But I was there to help the others and make sure we made a big positive impression on the Legislature. We did, but be assured, next time the Melendez’ of the Legislature propose a bill we don’t like, they will try to muster a crowd to counteract ours. We need everyone’s support even if you think it doesn’t help you – because it does.
Many thanks to all who took the time to show up, write letters, and make calls. You made a difference! And many thanks to Janice (#notoriousJMB) and the ACSOL and FSF Boards for their support and persistence.
I WAS PROUD to Show Up, Stand Up, and Speak Up with over 75 warriors to succeed–not just once–but TWICE in one day! We few were willing to sacrifice our time and money to come to Sacramento.
AND WE WON! AGAIN!
Politicians give each person who shows up a huge voter weighting in their minds as representing their other constituents who didn’t show up. They know that out of over 40 million Californians, few people will call, far fewer will write personal letters, and only the tiniest number will actually make the effort to show up and make their voice known in a committee. That is powerful influence multiplier!
Some of you did not come because you are mad about CP being level 3 on new tiered registry. I am angry about that also. But ACSOL had no control over the resurrected tiered registry that Gov Brown pushed through. I’m angry that he allowed that CP change to get passed, but if you look at the chaotic last few weeks of the Gut and Amend bill, you will see we had no time to call or write or do anything about it. This altered bill was rushed through by powerful forces behind closed doors: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billHistoryClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB384
Americans are rarely proactive in their politics and policies. In general, our nation is highly reactive and high drama. That explains the chaos of trying to suddenly reverse 72 years of having a lifetime-for-everyone registry. In the process, this CP injustice was forced through.
I am also angry that NO level 3’s like myself are currently allowed off the registry.
But I have hope for change for CP being lowered back to lower levels and those of us already on level 3. We made real change on Tuesday. We helped move forward a positive change for many young people by getting SB 145 passed in this committee. Our long line of people and our many callers and writers helped influence the committee to kill AB 884.
We lobbied hard a couple of months ago to find someone to author a bill to fix the CP and level 3 issues. Even though no one agreed so far, we have planted the ideas, just as we planted the ideas for the tiered registry for years before it was created. We don’t completely like the tiered registry that was passed, but we have no control over that. However, we can continue to fight to fix it!
NO BILL EVER SUPPORTED BY ANY ORGANIZATION GETS PASSED 100% IN THE FORM IT STARTED. THAT IS THE RISK OF TRYING TO MAKE CHANGE!
Yesterday’s win gives me the hope that–over time–we will succeed in promoting positive change to the tiered registry. I have hope that eventually CP will be pulled down from level 3. I have hope that we level 3’s will have a chance to move down to level 2. I even have hope that someday the registry will be taken off the Internet and shrink down to a tiny size, viewable only by law enforcement, like FBI databases.
Thanks again to you warriors! We did it! Let’s take a victory lap!
Thank you Janice and everyone who made this possible.
Congrats to those who will be positively impacted by these results and those who participated to see their power in action whether it was via electronic, paper, in person, or some combo of these means.
However, one word of advice to those who participate and wants others to participate, use words of encouragement and honey to get others involved, not vinegar in shaming others who do not. Doing the latter will only alienate people instead of coalescing into a cohesive group.
I do question why no one is working to get a bill sponsored that will REPEAL any of the previous bad bills which have passed to impact those who are impacted by the registry, tiering, etc. If there is power to stop a bill from becoming law, then there is power to get a bill presented for consideration to repeal a law. If you can do one, why not the other as a group? Go on the offensive!
Regarding the 200 victims, has anyone pointed out that 100,000 registrants x 200 victims = 20 million, or more than the number of females in California? I’m going to guess this hasn’t occurred to Rep. Melandez.