Newsom (again) overrides Dems on sex trafficking

California Democrats are once again getting pulled into the sex trafficking quagmire — this time, though, it’s through legislation from one of their own.

And Gov. Gavin Newsom is again intervening at the eleventh hour, issuing a statement moments before publication of this edition calling out Assembly Democrats for maneuvering this week to exclude older teenagers from an existing law that increases penalties on people who solicit minors for sex.

It’s another example of Newsom seizing on an opportunity to present himself as a common-sense Democrat, one willing to check his own party in Sacramento when he believes lawmakers have strayed too far left. His move will likely force Democratic leaders to backtrack on legislative amendments they pushed over moderate and Republican objections.