LB 1145, introduced by Nebraska State Senator Amanda McGill, was advanced in the legislature Wednesday. The bill would increase penalties for pandering, currently a misdemeanor, making it a Class IV felony punishable with up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Pandering of minors would become a Class III felony punishable with up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Sex trafficking is a serious issue in the U.S. with an estimated 100,000 American children exploited each year. Several Nebraska State Senators agree it is a problem that desperately needs to be addressed in Nebraska. In Whiteclay, NE, a town 250 feet from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, there have been reports of human trafficking; this bill, which would also provide training to law enforcement and would create a human trafficking task force, could address some of the sex trafficking issues facing the Pine Ridge area.
Click here to read more.
