Source: yahoo.com for ABC30 3/4/26
Candidate hopeful Rene Campos, a registered sex offender who was convicted of possession of child sex abuse material in 2018, finds himself at the center of yet another legislative push for stricter laws.
Tuesday, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria of Merced introduced a bill that would block registered sex offenders from running or holding any local or state public office.
“It was very disturbing to hear the news that we would have in the City of Fresno, the fifth largest city in the State of California, have a sex offender, a registered sex offender, serve in the city council,” says Assemblywoman Soria.
Currently, state law does not prohibit registrants from running for council. But, State Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria announced AB 2753, a law that would bar registered sex offenders from running for or holding any local or state office.
“I don’t think that it gets any more…
Oh, come on! I can’t be the only one who finds this hysterical! I mean, this is a position he gets ELECTED by the people to fill. Are they that worried he will win? Are his polling numbers that high? Or is this an attempt to divert focus away from the current sexual misconduct taking place among our elected officials? And what’s more disturbing is this: if they pull this shit with him, what’s to stop them from doing it with another group of people? Transgender, homosexuals, etc.?
I wonder if they would also ban former drug dealers, or gang members, or those with assault charges?
This is so stupid, do elected officials have nothing better to do? The law should be about prevention and rehabilitation not exclusion. How is a law baring Mr. Campos from holding public office going to protect children, maybe I just don’t understand Ms. Sorias thinking.
Just fired off a message to Esmerelda. This is bound to be unconstitutional. Talk about hate, revenge, ongoing criminal punishment and shaming. These people are evil.
So long as we live and breathe, we deserve a voice. Period.
I imagine if this becomes law it gets harder to claim registration isn’t punishment. Regardless, these are dark times.
Someone needs to advise Mr. Campos not to surrender the field before learning the law. I read an article about him and his new legal trouble and he is already saying that he thinks that he isn’t even allowed to be *near* a school during school hours. The law says he can’t be on school grounds without legal reason and permission. It does not say he can’t be in a church across the street from a school but not on school grounds.
Someone needs to actually find out where he was: on church grounds or the sidewalk in front of the church which are two different locations, i.e., private v public property.
“Full trust” they won’t vote for somebody like this……so why introduce the bill? What is she so freaking afraid of? Maybe…..LOSING? Yeah that’s it.
This law will never hold up in court as it is OBVIOUSLY targeted at one individual although they argue against future candidates (and current office-holders of which there are none). It is unconstitutional to enact a law that targets one person and not a behavior (crime).
Her favorite governor of CA had an extramarital affair. I don’t know if we should have elected officials that we can’t trust our spouses with. And one of her favorite US representative from CA who will be running for governor of the state had an affair with a Chinese spy, which could be a tremendous national security threat, but for some reason she doesn’t seem to have a problem with that.
I propose a bill that hysterical lawmakers have 1 year term and are banned from public service and lobbying for life. Keep your hysteria in your kitchen.
Why don’t they just come out and admit it. Once on the registry you are never allowed in society again. You blew it, you’re done. Nothing you do is worthy of anything. Your opinions don’t matter, your life doesn’t matter, just go away.
This proposed law is retributive such that it is making something that is legal today to become prohibitive for no other reason that fearmongering. It is also implying that a registrant cannot partake in politics, even when the state has acknowledge a citizen has paid their dues to society. That exclusion succinctly identifies that registrants are not equal citizens, but second class citizen under penalty of law.
I like Campos’ statement to Action News about the Soria’s proposed bill. It reflects that there is no such thing as rehabilitation if the state can continue to re-write laws to prevent one from moving forward in life.
It’s true. PC 1203.4 used to get one off the registry, but new laws have removed that avenue from qualified registrants, which is a form of rehabilitation. Then newer laws, SB-384, now puts all info back online when 1203.4 states your plea has change to not guilty and your accusation has been dismissed.
The laws negating the immunities of 1203.4 to the qualified registrant class is unconstitutional via the General v Special law as well as CA Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, “A bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts may not be passed.”
These re-writing of laws after the fact needs to stop. And thank goodness for Janice stepping into this foray.
We are entitled to representation in government! Period!
I find it ironic that the Latino community, which has the highest rate of underage pregnancies and child abuse of any group in the state, constantly has someone in politic within that community pushing for laws like this. You can’t throw a stone in Fresno without hitting an underage pregnant girl or one with at least one child.