Bills in the House and Senate that would help victims of human trafficking are moving forward, but without a controversial provision that would have allowed judges and social workers to have under-age victims held involuntarily in "safe houses," the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.
Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie, included the lockdown concept in her bill, saying that children and young teens who were still under the sway of pimps were likely to leave unless restrained. It was a lesser-of-two-evils argument for her.
But other members felt uncomfortable with that provision, and so did Attorney General Pam Bondi. She gave her approval of the measures after Harrell agreed to get rid of the "secure safe house" piece of the bill.
