There’s a difference between leadership and legislative spin. Unfortunately for Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, her recent op-ed in The Signal (May 20) reveals a dizzying merry-go-round of excuses, contradictions and political backpedaling that raise serious questions about her commitment to protecting our children.
Let’s be clear: Schiavo voted (against amendments to) Assembly Bill 379 after it was gutted and amended — only to later celebrate the final version once the public outcry forced lawmakers to reinsert key protections. Then she defended herself in a rhetorical circle, trying to convince readers she stood strong the entire time. But if her voting record proves anything, it’s this: Pilar Schiavo didn’t lead the charge to protect minors. She hopped on and off the ride depending on which direction the political winds were blowing.
Her commentary, titled “Clarity for the Reactionary,” is anything but clear. It’s a tour through legislative chaos, where Schiavo can’t decide whether she’s praising the bill, condemning the process, blaming the committee, or patting herself on the back. She claims she voted for a “strong bill,” but then spends multiple paragraphs lamenting how the amendments went too far and how the floor votes were confusing.
You don’t get to have it both ways. If the bill was strong, why complain about the amendments? And if the amendments gutted the bill, why vote for it?
This is the problem with merry-go-round politics — constantly spinning in circles, going nowhere, and leaving the public with nothing but nausea. While Schiavo attempts to frame herself as a survivor and advocate, she also admits she warned her Democratic colleague that the bill was likely to be distorted in committee. Yet she did nothing to stop that. No public protest. No press release at the time. No demand that protections for 16- and 17-year-olds be restored. That only came after the backlash.
If Schiavo’s convictions were truly unwavering, she would have stood her ground when the bill was at risk of being watered down. Instead, she played along with party leadership and only found her “clarity” when it became politically convenient.
What’s more troubling is how she hides behind her personal trauma to shield herself from criticism. No one doubts that survivors carry deep pain, and those experiences deserve respect. But personal experience doesn’t exempt a lawmaker from accountability. If anything, it should raise the bar. Schiavo claims she’ll “always stand on the side of creating more support for victims,” yet she initially stood by silently as critical protections were stripped from AB 379. That’s not strength. That’s selective courage.
She also criticizes The Signal for not contacting her before publishing an editorial critical of her vote. But Schiavo admits she issued a press release after the vote — so why the need for personal outreach? Legislators aren’t entitled to curated coverage or protective buffers from the press. If she wants to talk transparency, she should start with her own record, not blame the media for reporting on it.
At one point in her article, Schiavo muses that “you learn quickly, don’t fall in love with your bills.” This, apparently, is her justification for voting yes on legislation she admits was flawed, vague and mishandled. But that’s the exact kind of legislative apathy that got us into this mess. When children’s lives and safety are at stake, there is no room for detached maneuvering or party-driven compliance. There is only right and wrong.
We don’t need lawmakers who vote “yes” and later try to rebrand the consequences. We need leaders who fight before the vote — who draw lines in the sand and don’t cross them. We need public servants who understand that protecting minors from predators isn’t about optics or political survival. It’s about moral clarity, even when it’s inconvenient.
Pilar Schiavo had a chance to be that kind of leader. Instead, she grabbed the brass ring on the political merry-go-round and tried to call it progress.
But the public isn’t fooled. We know spin when we see it. And we know that the safety of our kids deserves more than confusing floor votes, legislative whiplash and hollow op-eds.
It’s time to step off the ride.
Patrick Lee Gipson
Santa Clarita
