Issue

Lowering penalties for sex work

A bill to reduce the city's minimum penalty for sex work.

The latest

City Council

Reducing the minimum penalty for engaging in sex work.

A bill would make the minimum penalty for sex work a $100 fine, like a traffic ticket. Currently, it's a misdemeanor, with up to a year in jail for a first offense. The bill doesn't decriminalize sex work, though. Council unanimously advanced it, and a final vote is set for July 8.

Follow the issues:

Lowering penalties for sex work

City Council

At This Week’s Standing Committee Meeting.

Council's committee meeting this week ran 8 hours, and almost 70 people gave public comment. The largest group, 59 speakers, favored strengthening the Stop the Violence Fund. Speakers also weighed in on protections for trans healthcare and sex workers, and 11 opposed a public safety training campus. Top agenda items included reducing the minimum penalty for sex work.

Follow the issues:

Where the Stop the Violence money goesThe public safety training campusLowering penalties for sex work