FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RALEIGH, NC — The North Carolina Forward Party is urging members of the State Senate to remove its recent amendments to House Bill 805 and return to the bill’s original, bipartisan purpose: providing women and minors with a legal pathway to remove nonconsensual sexual images from the internet.

Unanimously passed by the NC House (113–0) last month, the Prevent the Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors Act was designed to empower victims of human trafficking with critical tools to reclaim their dignity and safety. The bill was lauded by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and celebrated by advocates as a meaningful step forward for survivors of digital exploitation.

However, when HB 805 moved to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Buck Newton (R-Greene, Wayne, Wilson) introduced a proposed committee substitute (PCS) with new provisions entirely unrelated to the bill’s original intent. The PCS proposed changes that reignited ancillary culture war issues, including defining sex as strictly male or female, restricting gender-affirming surgeries for prisoners, and requiring amended birth certificates to retain original sex designations.

“These additions muddy the water of a clean, survivor-focused bill and transform it into a vessel for cultural grievance politics,” said Patrick Newton, North Carolina Forward Party Chair. “Culture war amendments like this one only serve to polarize our populace and delay justice for the victims of human trafficking—the very people this legislation was meant to help. This is exactly the kind of maneuver that erodes public trust in government.”

State lawmakers in both chambers have also voiced concern over the altered bill. Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg), the bill’s primary sponsor, pleaded with Senate colleagues to remember why the legislation was introduced, stating: “If you are the victim of human trafficking and there are images or videos of you online, there is no remedy in the state of North Carolina...which means you’re stuck.”

Sen. Sydney Batch (D-Wake) called the original House bill “fantastic” and said the Senate’s substitute should be considered separately. Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed (D-Mecklenburg) noted the amendments address a problem that doesn’t exist, questioning why unnecessary laws are being created when no state funds have ever been used for gender-affirming surgeries.

“This is not the time to make a point, it’s time to make a difference,” Patrick Newton added. “We’ll only achieve this when we balance perspectives from both sides and focus on those areas where we can find common ground. As a party committed to collaboration and problem-solving, we urge legislators to return to the core mission of HB 805: protecting the rights and futures of exploited women and minors. We should not squander this rare moment of unity for the sake of symbolic politics.”

The North Carolina Forward Party continues to stand for pragmatic, inclusive solutions that transcend ideological lines and deliver real outcomes for North Carolinians. We believe that effective policymaking—especially around deeply personal and traumatic issues like human trafficking—requires compassion, consensus, and the prioritization of shared values over point-scoring and pandering to the extremes of each party.

Nolan Fraver | NCFP Press Secretary 
[email protected]