April 16th Action ALERT

Would the Georgia Senate unseat two committee chairmen and fire the minority whip in order to pass a bill decriminalizing juvenile prostitution, masturbation for hire and involvement in pornography?
_____________________________________

PLEASE ACT QUICKLY, this bill will be in committee
Monday, April 19th at
2:00, Room 450, State Capitol.

Whether it’s coincidence or a well-planned strategy, the radical change in the Senate Judiciary Committee might mean the passage of S.B. 304 as an amendment to H.B. 571.

H.B. 571 was on the Judiciary Committee’s Thursday April 15th agenda, but was postponed until Monday for further amendments or refinement.

Two pages of the committee substitute already have language to decriminalize juvenile sex acts. Components of S.B. 304 are now evident in H.B. 571. Consider this: S.B. 304 absolves juveniles of sexual offenses and specifies that they may be paid for their services in prostitution, masturbation for hire and pornography. S.B. 304 classifies juvenile sex workers as victims, for the express purpose of making them eligible for victim compensation. The components of S.B. 304 listed in this paragraph have already been added to H.B. 571 in the following language:

Page 6, lines 170 – 174: “For purposes of this Code section, a conviction for a misdemeanor shall not be considered a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, and conduct which is adjudicated in juvenile court shall not be considered a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor.”

Page 7, lines 215 – 217 further the idea that minors involved in sexual offenses are victims, i.e., making them eligible for victim compensation funds.

Page 16, line 550 defines a minor as a person under age 18.
_____________________________________________
ACTION – Oppose. PLEASE take time to call the following over the weekend, if possible, and again on Monday morning. If one of them is your senator, be sure to call at home and at the Capitol Monday morning, as well.
Call Judiciary Committee Senators Harp, 463-3931, Ch.; Hamrick, 656-0036; Adelman, 463-1376; Brown, 656-5035; Cowsert, 651-7738; Crosby, 463-5258; Fort, 656-5091; Judson Hill, 656-0150; Ramsey, 463-2598; Seabaugh, 656-6446; Smith, 404 656-0034; and Wiles 657-0406.
Don’t forget to call: Ex-officio Members Chance, 463-1366, and Unterman, 463-1368.