L.A. Times urges Hawaii governor to sign sex trafficking bill

On Monday, The L.A. Times published an editorial asking Gov. Linda Lingle to sign a bill establishing laws against sex trafficking. Senate Bill 2045 was one of 39 bills placed on the governor’s potential veto list today.

“Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle should sign the sex trafficking bill in hopes that a better, more comprehensive law against slave labor — the bigger problem — will follow.

Hawaii is one of six states that do not have any laws against human trafficking, and each one of them — Massachusetts, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming — is a hole in what should be a national safety net. Without strong and vigorously enforced statutes, these states not only risk becoming unintended havens for traffickers, but when confronted with the crime they are more likely to rely on outdated prostitution laws instead of up-to-date laws regarding modern slavery. The Aloha State, however, is poised to leave this small club of outliers and become the 45th state to enact anti-trafficking legislation; we encourage Gov. Linda Lingle to sign the legislation now sitting on her desk.”

Read the rest of the L.A. Times piece here.