Democrat lawmakers in California thought they could get away with it—AB 495, a reckless bill that would allow for child trafficking. They thought wrong. Sacramento may not have been listening before, but after a massive pro-God, pro-family, pro-parental rights rally on the steps of the capital, they are definitely listening now.
Thousands of common-sense conservatives swarmed the California capital Tuesday, along with tens of thousands more online. Jack Hibbs, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and founder of the Real Life Network, encouraged all those opposed to child trafficking to keep praying and keep fighting to protect children.
“This is exactly what evil fears,” Hibbs said to the crowds. “You guys are all shining examples of what it means to make a difference.”
Hibbs was right; the difference those individuals at the rally made was huge. Assembly Bill 495 has been placed into “suspense,” a procedural move that delays its advancement, but does not stop the bill entirely.
Earlier this month, Pastor Hibbs went viral for telling parents with young children to “leave California” if Governor Newsom were to sign AB 495 bill into law.
“It didn’t excite me to say to our congregation, ‘Hey, if he passes it, you’ve got to go,’” Hibbs explained. “But what trumps anything and everything about this is the innocence of our children.”
Best-selling author and speaker, Heidi St. John, spoke at the rally, powerfully emphasizing: “When we decided to give up our seat in the public square, the adversary filled the vacuum that God’s people left behind. I’m here today to encourage you, from the bottom of my heart, to let today be a beginning of Christians—in the state of California and across this great nation—never giving the adversary a political advantage again.”
“We could have all stayed home,” Pastor Hibbs added, “but we’ve made our way here in defense of our children and any and every child in the state of California. Even if they’re illegally here, we still pray for their protection. This bill is [an] absolute offense. And you know it, Father God, more than anybody else.”
AB 495 was introduced by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez to shield illegal immigrant children if their parents are suddenly detained or deported. However, the language is extremely broad, potentially allowing unauthorized adults to pick up children from schools without requiring the school to verify identity or consult parents.
“This is actually a kidnapper, trafficker, pedophile’s dream come true,” Hibbs explained in an interview with Fox News’ Trace Gallagher.
While the Senate Appropriations Committee placed AB 495 in its suspense file, the battle is far from over.
Gina Gleason from Real Impact, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills that equips Christians to stand for righteousness in the public square, urged continued vigilance.
“We need to put the pressure on the state senate to kill this bill. They hear us. They know we’re here.”
As California goes, so goes the nation. Moreover, as the United States goes, so goes the rest of the world—even Israel. If signed into law, similar bills could crop up in other liberal states across the nation.
One of the protesters described the loopholes in the bill as a “loop chasm.” If you are a parent, if you are a grandparent, keep showing up in Sacramento and keep calling your local officials until this terrible child trafficking bill is officially put on ice.
