Rep. Kevin Parker’s bills to crack down on human trafficking and help the homeless find work pass House with overwhelming support
Rep. Kevin Parker's bill to crack down on human trafficking and help homeless find work pass House with overwhelming support
Rep. Kevin Parker had two bills pass the state House of Representatives with overwhelming support this week.
House Bill 1791 cracks down on human trafficking by making traffickers register as sex offenders if prosecutors can prove a sex act was involved. It passed the House unanimously, 97-0.
“My bill allows law enforcement and prosecutors to come at this problem from both sides: the labor standpoint and the prostitution standpoint,” said Parker, R-Spokane. “It makes any trafficking that includes a sex act a sex offense. As a result, the perpetrator would have to register as a sex offender. This is significant given that organized crime is often involved.”
Parker has helped host human trafficking forums in Spokane and has worked on the issue with Miss Washington USA, Allyson Rowe, whose foundation, the Esther Generation Foundation, works to rescue women and children from the sex trade industry.
Parker's second bill, House Bill 2415, would help the homeless by allowing them to obtain a temporary ID card so they can apply for work. House Bill 2415 passed the House 90-8.
“Homelessness is a vicious cycle,” said Parker. “Many times, without a physical address, people find it nearly impossible to apply for work. My bill is a first step in allowing these people an opportunity to find work and turn their lives around.”
The idea for the bill came from the homeless themselves after Parker helped host town hall meetings for the homeless in conjunction with Catholic Charities Spokane, Blessings Under the Bridge, Lutheran Community Services and Jeremy Affeldt, who pitches for the San Francisco Giants but lives in Spokane. His efforts on behalf of the homeless were featured recently in The Spokesman-Review.
His bills now move to the Senate for further consideration.
The 30-day 2014 legislative session is scheduled to end March 13.
