Legislation written by a local legislator that would increase
penalties for child pornography has passed the Assembly and is headed
for the state Senate.
The legislation was introduced by Assemblywoman Carol Liu (D-La
Canada Flintridge). The bill would give prosecutors the option to
charge a person who has collected 100 or more images of child
pornography with a misdemeanor or felony. A felony conviction could
be punished with up to three years in state prison. Currently,
law-enforcement officials can charge suspects with a misdemeanor
only, even if a suspect possesses thousands of items of child
pornography, such as pictures and video, Liu said.
Liu had several bills that moved from the Appropriations Committee
to the Assembly floor, including a bill that would prohibit schools
and colleges from purchasing what she said are dangerous 15-passenger
vans and requiring drivers of the vans to obtain commercial drivers
licenses.
Ryan Carter
