Arizona’s Andy Biggs Faces Criticism for Past Legislative Decisions on Sex Trafficking
Arizona Representative Andy Biggs, who is now the Republican gubernatorial candidate, has drawn attention due to his past legislative decisions, including his vote against a significant anti-sex trafficking bill. He is set to compete against the current Democratic Governor, Katie Hobbs, in the upcoming election.
In 2018, Biggs was one of a minority of 25 lawmakers who opposed the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. This legislation aimed to empower state authorities to take legal action against websites involved in sex trafficking and introduced new federal penalties for promoting prostitution via online platforms.
The bill received strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate and was subsequently signed into law by then-President Donald Trump. The initiative also received backing from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Biggs has faced scrutiny for his past actions regarding protection for sexual abuse victims. Notably, in 2013, as the leader of the Arizona Senate, he halted efforts to disband a local police department accused of safeguarding a religious sect involved in the abuse of young girls.
In another instance, Biggs initially voted in committee against disclosing Justice Department files concerning the investigation of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, although he later supported the release during a floor vote.
Rep. David Schweikert, who was a rival in the Republican primary for the governor’s race, criticized Biggs for his history of “voting against protecting our children from really, really bad actors” during a statement in June.
According to a July poll by the Terrance Group, Hobbs was leading Biggs by a margin of four percentage points.
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