February 15, 2024 09:08 AM UTC

No More Exploding Kids!

• 7 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

This quote — which we assume includes a typo — comes from a story written by Marianne Goodland for the publication formerly known as the Colorado Statesman regarding proposed legislation to create tougher penalties for sex trafficking crimes. Here’s the full section of that story for context:

Reps. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough Park, and Regina English, D-Colorado Springs, are sponsoring House Bill 1092.

Bradley addressed head-on the issue of mandatory minimums, one of the provisions in the bill expected to face face stiff opposition.

“All bets are off of me when it comes to harming and exploding kids, and that’s what I’m challenging my colleagues to look at,” Bradley told Colorado Politics. “This is not a particular piece of legislation where you can politic — you really have to legislate for people.”

Bradley acknowledged the concern raised by opponents that people of color are disproportionately incarcerated. But in human trafficking, the vast majority of those committing those crimes are White, suburban men who get a little more than a slap on the wrist, Bradley said.

House Bill 1092 would set a mandatory minimum sentence of four years for a whole host of crimes against children, including soliciting for child prostitution, pandering of a child, procurement of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution, pimping of a child, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child.

We’re assuming Bradley meant to say “harming and EXPLOITING kids” instead of “exploding kids.”

The first part of that quote, however, is probably accurate — and also hilarious. “All bets are off of me” is a great mixed-up phrase that we may be adding to our own vocabulary just for kicks.