California Republican Senators and Assemblymembers today expressed relief that a CalMatters article publicly exposed the fact that even Democrat legislators have finally realized that playing with the lives and safety of children was wrong and would cost them politically.
From the CalMatters article: “Instead of bringing their nominations up for consideration as is typical, Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, opted to shelve (Parole Commissioners) Cassady and Kozel’s reappointments to the board . . . (t)he move protected Democratic senators from having to make difficult votes in public about whether to retain Cassady and Kozel.”
“Whether it was self-interested politics or finally waking up to the fact that the woke ways of favoring criminals over innocent victims is simply wrong, the decision to not confirm Cassady and Kozel is a wise one given their track record,” stated Senator Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego).
“Abuse of vulnerable children must never be tolerated. The removal of these two Parole Commissioners sends a message to the rest of the Board – your job is to protect the public’s safety, it is not to play woke politics by releasing dangerous predators,” said Assembly Republican Leader Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare).
Earlier this year, Senate and Assembly Republican legislators called on the Parole Board to reject the early release of a convicted child predator. Watch that press conference here.
"Senate Republicans have fiercely pushed to make sure that the Board of Parole Hearings commissioners put public safety first when making parole decisions because consequences of a wrong decision are irreversible," stated Senate Republican Leader-Elect Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), who authored legislation to exclude criminals convicted of sex offenses from being eligible for elderly parole and represents the area where serial child predators – David Allen Funston and Gregory Lee Vogelsang – committed many of their crimes.
“Earlier this year we called on the removal of every parole board member who voted to release violent sexual predators like David Funston and Gregory Vogelsang back into our community. Two of those individuals have now been relieved of their position. This is a critical first step, but more must be done to remove the remaining members and pass reforms that stop the early release of criminals with life sentences,” said Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), who joined victims and community members in opposing the release of Funston and Vogelsang.