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UPDATE, September 11, 2020: This report has been updated to add commentary from the Thomas More Society.

SACRAMENTO, California, September 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Controversy has erupted in California over the state legislature’s weekend approval of legislation that critics say will contribute to the “normalization of pedophilia” by empowering judges to forgo adding those who engage in homosexual sex with minors within a specific age window to the state sex offender registry.

Under current California law, it is illegal to perform sex acts with a minor, but oral and anal intercourse requires that the older partner register as a sex offender, whereas in the case of vaginal intercourse judges have the discretion to choose whether to require registration. 

Senate Bill 145, introduced by Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener, extends that judicial discretion to all three acts, so long as the victim is at least 14 and the offender “is not more than 10 years older than the minor.” 

Lawmakers gave their final approval to SB145 on Monday, KUSI reported. The legislation’s supporters claim the legislation merely eliminates “discrimination” in existing law, and prevents young people close in age from being treated the same as pedophiles. Opponents, however, argue the bill will empower pedophiles should it become law.

“This proposed law would allow a 24 year old to sodomize a 15 year old child without having to register as a sex offender. No reasonable person should think that’s acceptable,” said Paul Jonna, special counsel to the Thomas More Society. “If progressive legislators want to improve these laws, they should enhance the penalties across the board rather than loosen them. The legislature’s job is to pass laws that protect the citizens of California – not harm them, as this law undoubtedly will.”

Conservatives aren’t the only ones who have found fault with the legislation. 

“I agree this situation should never be subject to the sex offender registry,” said Democrat state Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. “But this bill would also allow a 24-year-old to prey on a 14-year-old and not be deemed a sex offender. As a Mom, I just can’t see that as ever being consensual.”

Further, California attorney and Dordulian Law Group owner Samuel Dordulian noted that eliminating “discrimination” in the current law could have been easily accomplished by applying mandatory registration to vaginal intercourse instead of removing it from the other two acts.

“Survivors whose attackers manage to receive light sentences not befitting their crimes would be forced to accept that those convicted attackers could also evade the former mandatory punishment rightfully designating them as sex offenders depending on a judge’s decision,” Dordulian wrote. “Communities would be forced to accept that sex offenders could now potentially live anonymously among law-abiding citizens. Law enforcement officials would be forced to accept that their ability to properly monitor sex offenders could potentially be compromised. All of these scenarios are unacceptable and highly concerning.”

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to reveal whether he will sign SB145 into law.