Rep. Andy Biggs’ Stance on Key Legislation Under Scrutiny
Arizona Representative Andy Biggs, currently the Republican candidate for governor, has a history of controversial votes, including his decision to oppose a significant bill aimed at combating online sex trafficking. This bill, known as the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, was designed to empower state prosecutors to take action against websites facilitating such activities and to introduce new federal penalties for promoting prostitution on the internet.
The legislation was passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate before being signed into law by then-President Donald Trump. It also received backing from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, emphasizing its importance in the fight against online exploitation.
Biggs’ record has prompted criticism, especially regarding his perceived lack of action to protect victims of sexual abuse. In 2013, while he was serving as the leader of the Arizona Senate, Biggs blocked efforts to disband a local police force accused of shielding a religious sect involved in the abuse of young girls.
More recently, during a committee vote, Biggs initially sought to block the release of Justice Department files concerning the investigation into sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. However, he changed his stance and voted in favor of releasing the files when the matter reached a floor vote.
Criticism from political opponents has been vocal. Former Republican primary contender Rep. David Schweikert expressed disapproval of Biggs’ voting record, accusing him of consistently failing to protect children from “really, really bad actors.”
In the race for governor, Biggs is set to challenge incumbent Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs. A poll conducted by the Terrance Group in July indicated that Hobbs holds a slight lead over Biggs, with a margin of four percentage points.
The post Andy Biggs opposed online sex trafficking law appeared first on American Journal News.
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