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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Efforts to end what California lawmakers call an archaic distinction between spousal rape and other forms of sexual assault appear to have stalled for the year.
The two measures would have meant that the rape of a spouse would be treated and punished the same as the rape of a non-spouse.
Neither bill received a committee hearing before last week’s deadline.
Sen. Dave Cortese could try again next year. His fellow Democrats, Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia and Evan Low, objected Monday to their version of the bill not getting a hearing in that chamber’s public safety committee.
