The last time I wrote about public safety, California was preparing to release a convicted child rapist.
David Allen Funston admitted he was still attracted to children. He said himself he should not be around them. Yet our system still moved to set him free.
He was only stopped because a local district attorney stepped in at the last minute to re-file charges. Without that intervention, he would be out today.
That should never happen.
Cases like this expose what too many families already know: For years, California’s criminal justice system has drifted away from common sense — prioritizing process over protection and, too often, criminals over victims.
We’re working to change that.
Last week, two of my public safety bills passed the Senate Public Safety Committee, both focused on closing dangerous gaps and putting victims first.
The first is Senate Bill 1395, known as Kayleigh’s Law.
Right now, survivors of violent crimes are forced to return to court again and again — sometimes for years — just to renew a protective order against the person who harmed them. Each time, they are asked to relive their trauma. Each time, they sit across from their abuser.
There is no justification for that.
Victims shouldn’t have to fight the system just to stay safe.
This bill is named after Kayleigh Kozak, who has spent more than a decade being pulled back into court to face her abuser. Her story is heartbreaking but it is not unique. It is the direct result of the system we have today.
SB 1395 gives judges the discretion to issue protective orders of up to 25 years for victims of child felony sex offenses, so protection doesn’t expire before healing even begins.
I’ll be honest: The version that passed committee is not the bill I introduced. It reflects amendments I had to accept to move it forward. It’s a step in the right direction but it falls short of what survivors truly deserve.
That’s why this fight doesn’t stop in Sacramento.
This week, I was in Washington, D.C., testifying before Congress in support of a federal version of Kayleigh’s Law, one that would allow judges to impose lifetime protective orders for survivors of the most heinous crimes.
Because what’s happening in California is not isolated — it’s a warning.
When policies weaken protections for victims, the consequences don’t stay contained. And we have a responsibility to get this right, not just here, but nationwide.
Protecting victims should never be controversial. It should be the standard.
My second bill to pass committee is Senate Bill 1022, the Multidisciplinary Alliance to Stop Trafficking (MAST) Act.
Human trafficking is one of the most complex and devastating crimes we face and California is at the center of it. But our current response is fragmented.
SB 1022 creates a statewide task force to bring together law enforcement, service providers and state agencies to improve coordination, close gaps and better support victims.
Because right now, too many victims are falling through the cracks.
I’m also proud to coauthor Senate Bill 1373, which strengthens California’s Mental Health Diversion Program.
Mental health diversion should be used for those who truly need help, not as a loophole for individuals who commit serious crimes like felony child abuse or human trafficking.
Accountability matters. And so does protecting the integrity of our justice system.
For too long, California moved in the wrong direction on public safety. But we are starting to turn the tide and bringing common sense back into the conversation and putting victims where they belong: at the center.
There is still more work to do.
But I will continue to speak out against policies that put communities at risk, and I will continue to fight for solutions that ensure victims are heard, protected and never forced to relive their trauma just to stay safe.
Because victims deserve more than a system that fails them.
They deserve protection that lasts.
And I will not stop — whether in Sacramento or Washington — until that’s the standard.
Suzette Martinez Valladares represents the Santa Clarita Valley in the state Senate.“Right, Here Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.
