California State Senator Scott Wiener has vetoed a measure that would have barred registered sex offenders from running for public office.

The bill, AB 2753, passed the State Assembly unanimously but was rejected by the Senate Elections Committee on Tuesday in a vote of 2-1-2. Democratic San Diego State Senator Sabrina Cervantes and Republican State Senator Steven Choi voted yes, while Wiener, chairman of the committee, voted no. Democratic Santa Ana State Senator Tom Umberg and El Segundo State Senator Ben Allen abstained from the vote.

The legislation was authored by Fresno Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria after registered sex offender Rene Campos attempted to run for the Fresno City Council. Campos pleaded no contest in 2018 to a misdemeanor charge of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Soria’s proposal aimed to prevent individuals listed in California’s three-tiered sex offender registration system from seeking public office. Tier One offenders remain on the registry up to 10 years, Tier Two for up to 20 years, and Tier Three for life.

Wiener expressed concerns about the bill’s broad scope, stating he would support it only if it applied exclusively to Tier Three offenders. Soria declined to accept this amendment, leading to the bill’s failure.

The measure was one of two introduced in California this year to bar sex offenders from public office following incidents involving registered sex offenders seeking political positions and allegations against former Representative Eric Swalwell.

Wiener has also been noted for advocating amendments to similar bills that would exclude certain sexual offenses involving minors from prohibitions on running for office, including acts such as sodomy and oral copulation with individuals under 18, and relationships where one party is older than 21 and the other younger than 16.

During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, members of the California Family Council questioned Wiener regarding his proposed carveouts.