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'Molesters' and 'rapists' would go free under California bill, state Senate GOP warns
FIRST ON FOX — A Democrat-led bill meant to protect prisoners from sexual violence while incarcerated in California state facilities by addressing issues related to sexual abuse could wind up reducing violent criminals’ sentences altogether, state Republicans warn.
SB 898, authored by Berkeley Democrat state Sen. Nancy Skinner, aims to enhance protections for individuals incarcerated in California state facilities by addressing issues related to sexual abuse and expanding opportunities for legal relief.
But Republicans say that a little-known provision in the bill would enable inmates serving sentences of 15 years or more to seek resentencing or release if there have been changes to sentencing guidelines since their conviction.
“And you know, they’re touting that crime is going down, but it’s because the Democrats have decriminalized crime in California,” state Sen. Brian Dahle told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And so victims of homicide, heinous sexual crimes, rape, murder, molestation of children all can come up in every three years, can go have a potential hearing to get out, whether or not they’ve been rehabilitated or not.”
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (AP Photo/Steven Senne/File)
Dahle said this will create a cycle of frequent hearings and petitions, which means victims will have to repeatedly attend these hearings every three years and relive the trauma inflicted upon them by the perpetrator.
Skinner dismisses the Republican criticisms, calling them “false accusations” about SB 898 that are “just the latest example of MAGA distortions and lies.”
“SB 898 is focused first and foremost on providing protections for incarcerated people who have proven to have been raped or sexually assaulted by prison guards or staff,” she told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Its additional provision merely adds defense attorneys to the existing list of those who are eligible to request a court hearing if California changes a sentencing law. SB 898 does not release anyone from prison, period.”
The California District Attorneys Association decried the bill, saying they “strenuously object to creating a revolving door of hearings for [murderers], rapists, and child molesters.”
The provision allows defense attorneys to request hearings if California ever revises prison sentences for certain crimes, but it does not automatically release anyone from prison. The hearings are not guaranteed and can be denied by judges, with no assurance that a change in sentencing guidelines would result in immediate release.
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Meanwhile, Skinner’s bill focuses on several proposals regarding how sexual abuse and sentencing issues are handled within the California prison system. It mandates that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation monitor incarcerated individuals who report sexual abuse for 90 days to prevent retaliation.
“If somebody’s being raped in prison, then obviously we need to isolate those incidences and do something to correct that,” Dahle said in response. “That’s been an ongoing thing since people have been put in prison. Yes, there are some bad actors, but for the most part, we’re doing as good as we can in the situations we have, but they’ve made prisons a place where it’s hard to isolate somebody.”
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The California State Capitol (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League/File)
According to the Senate Republicans’ analysis of the bill, the bill “is mislabeled by Legislative Counsel as a bill primarily dealing with ‘sexual assault resentencing.’”
“That title remains from the prior version and while [it] has some remaining provisions on that topic, the most important changes the bill makes to sentencing law have nothing to do with sexual assault, other than to potentially let individuals who have committed sex crimes out of prison earlier,” the analysis reads.
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We are reviving Curious Alaska, a popular feature launched by the Anchorage Daily News in 2021.
The idea is simple: You have questions. Our reporters find answers. We share them with readers.
Maybe you’re curious about a landmark (like the Parks Highway Igloo, pictured below), or a tradition, a news event or a public figure from the past. Maybe you have a practical question about everyday life in Alaska.
On our initial run, we tackled more than 30 topics that readers inquired about.
Some examples of reader questions we’ve looked into so far include why we don’t have a Trader Joe’s here, whether there are snakes in Alaska, why sand dunes exist in Kincaid Park and the story behind cattle herds on remote islands in the state.
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Top moments from CNN California governor debate recap
Breaking down key takeaways, highlights, and analysis from the CNN California governor debate, including standout moments and candidate contrasts.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that newborn babies in California will start receiving free diapers as part of a new “first-in-the-nation” initiative to support families across the state with the rising cost of living.
Newsom, along with state leaders, met in San Francisco on Friday, May 8 to unveil California’s new partnership with Baby2Baby, a national nonprofit that provides diapers to children in need, and to explain how this new program will provide families with 400 “high-quality” diapers before they leave the hospital.
Over the last six years, families have seen the average cost of diapers increase by 45% or “thousands plus dollars a year,” which has made raising a family unattainable for some, Newsom said during the press conference.
“Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life — and that means making sure parents have the basics they need from day one,” Newsom said. “One out of four families skip meals in order to pay for diapers.”
“The biggest problem defined universally, in our cities, our state and our nation, is the issue of affordability. This is what affordability looks like; it’s not a slogan, it’s a box. A box of diapers,” Newsom added.
This new effort will be known as Golden State Start, as California uses its bulk purchasing power to obtain 40 million high-quality diapers in hopes of easing financial strain for families and supporting infant health by helping parents maintain an adequate supply of clean diapers.
“The first days at home with a newborn should be focused on the love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about affording diapers,” said Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. “This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with greater stability and peace of mind.”
The program is expected to start at the beginning of this summer in participating California hospitals. The list of participating hospitals was not released at the time of publication, but Newsom noted that the state was in talks with at least 60 hospitals across California.
During the first year of the program, CalRx and Baby2Baby noted that they would prioritize hospitals that serve large numbers of Medi-Cal patients to ensure low-income families benefit early from the program. The state plans to scale the program to additional hospitals and birthing centers over time.
Newsom noted that this program is expected to grow: In 2027, the state is set to purchase 80 million diapers from manufacturers, with the goal of eventually purchasing up to 160 million.
“California families deserve to feel supported during one of life’s more exciting, yet vulnerable transitions,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the first partner, said in a press release. “Golden State Start will deliver immediate relief, allowing parents to focus on what matters most — caring for their newborn. Together with Baby2Baby, we can ease the financial burden on California parents while supporting healthier outcomes for babies and their mothers.”
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
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