California State Senator Scott Wiener helped defeat a bill that would have barred registered sex offenders from running for or holding public office in California.
The measure, which was authored by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria of Merced, would have prohibited anyone required to register as a sex offender from seeking or serving in state or local offices such as city council, school board, or the legislature.
The bill was introduced after a registered sex offender announced a bid for Fresno City Council, prompting Soria to promise her constituents she would act to prevent sex offenders from running.
Soria had expressed her concerns in a press release announcing the bill, stating that the idea of a registered sex offender running for public office was "unacceptable" and that the bill would ensure voters had confidence in their elected officials.
However, Wiener opposed the bill and suggested it be amended to apply solely to lifetime Tier 3 registrants. When Soria refused to accept the change, the measure died.
Wiener's opposition to the bill has sparked controversy, with some critics accusing him of being soft on sex-related offenses. The defeat of the bill means registered sex offenders across all registration tiers can continue running for offices that oversee schools, parks, and local law enforcement across California.
This move fits a longer record of Wiener advancing policies that soften consequences for sex-related offenses. In 2020, he authored SB 145, which gave judges discretion to remove certain sex offenders from the registry for consensual acts between a 14-to-17-year-old and an adult no more than ten years older.
Earlier, in 2017, Wiener authored SB 239, which reduced penalties for knowingly exposing others to HIV from felony to misdemeanor in many cases.
