NEW: Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill to repeal provisions of a California law that bans loitering with the intent to sell sex — legislation that sparked debate over decriminalizing sex work and divided advocates and Democrats. https://t.co/hvF8ECPGjV pic.twitter.com/YHcFFxVDAa
— Hannah Wiley (@hannahcwiley) July 1, 2022
On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill into law which will stop police from arresting those loitering for prostitution.
“To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution,” Newsom said in a signing message. “It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women” and transgender adults, particularly those from poor Black and Brown communities.
The measure also will allow those who were previously convicted or are serving sentences to ask a court to dismiss and seal the record of the conviction.
California’s new law comes on the heels of similar legislation passed in the state of New York last year in what Sen. Scott Wiener calls a “a broader effort to end violence toward and discrimination against sex workers.”
Source: Twitter.com