NY bill would decriminalize prostitution

Article here. Excerpt:

'New York state would legalize the buying and selling of sex under a proposal introduced in the state Legislature Monday that would lift criminal penalties for sex work.

The bill isn't expected to get a vote before the Democrat-led Senate and Assembly plan to adjourn for the year next week. But supporters still hailed the announcement of the bill as a critical step toward repealing criminal penalties for sex workers and their customers.
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"We only want to live, be free and be safe," said TS Candii, a former sex worker and current leader in the effort to decriminalize the industry. She said started selling sex at age 13 as a matter of survival.

The bill's sponsor in the Assembly, Manhattan Democrat Richard Gottfried, said outlawing prostitution has only forced sex workers into the shadows, where they can be exploited, trafficked and then punished for breaking the law.

"Trying to stop sex work between consenting adults should not be the business of the criminal justice system," he said. "It has not worked for a couple of thousand years."'