JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – We’ve all heard it said that “politics makes strange bedfellows” – but it’s worth noting that sometimes one of the bedfellows is considerably stranger than the others.
Let’s say you’re an earnest, well-meaning, hardworking state representative toiling away in Missouri, for example, and you want to do something about human trafficking. One day, along comes a potential bedfellow toting a ready-made bill called the “Human Trafficking Prevention Act” (“HTPA” for short), or something similar.
This sounds like just the thing you’re looking for, a bill designed to prevent human trafficking! As a legislator in search of solutions to this problem, wouldn’t you be inclined to lend the fellow in question your ear, maybe even sponsor his proposed legislation?
Well, depending on how much stock you put in the reputation and curriculum vitae of your prospective bedfellows, this might be a moment for you to pause, reflect and ask yourself questions like: “Is this fellow qualified to write legislation?” or “What about this fellow’s background should give me confidence he’s written a good bill?” or possibly even “Has this fellow ever been credibly accused of stalking a country music star?”
Granted, the answer to that last question is very likely to be no – most of the time.
In the case of the Missouri House of Representatives, however, with respect to their chosen bedfellow in promoting a new bill called the “Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act,” (HTCEPA) it’s a question to which the answer is yes.
This is because the Missouri House appears to be working with a fellow named Christian Sevier – or “Mark Sevier” or “Chris Severe” depending on who he is communicating with – whose colorful history includes an accusation of stalking country singer John Rich, as well as a 17-year-old girl who worked at a Ben & Jerry’s shop.
Last year, when the HTPA was under consideration by several state legislatures, The Daily Beast published an extensive review of Sevier’s background, including a small sampling of the many lawsuits he has filed over the years. Some of these legal actions, admittedly, have been works of comedic genius – if only we could be certain Sevier was joking in filing them.
Something else legislators should know about Sevier: When things don’t go his way, he tends to sue, or threaten to sue, anyone with whom he’s dissatisfied. As legislators in North Dakota learned last year, this litigious proclivity extends to his former allies who he feels haven’t followed through in helping to push through the legislation he champions.
In an email exchange with Rep. Lawrence Klemin, Sevier threatened to sue Fuse, a North Dakota anti-human trafficking organization, in response to the state legislature dropping discussion of the HTPA.
“In a radio interview, I was just asked what my reaction to you withdrawing the bill was, and my response was that you need to be voted out of office for not having back bone,” Sevier wrote to Klemin. “This bill is about protecting women and children, and not pandering to shallow narratives for personal gain.”
“If this is not remedied in a way I feel to be satisfactory, we will sue Fuse in Federal District Court,” Sevier continued. “The sponsors that we have in all of the other states have backbone and are men of character and honor. This is weak and pathetic. The fact that we are working with the Federal Congress to pass a Federal bill means that the state of North Dakota will be regulated any way.”
So far as I’m aware, Sevier has not sued Fuse as he pledged to do, but I suppose he still has time to file, should he decide he’d like to add North Dakota to the list of states in which he’s had a lawsuit dismissed for failing to state a claim for which relief can be granted.
It appears it’s too late for Missouri to be warned about Sevier, who is now publicly lobbying for passage of the HTCEPA in the state. Joining Sevier in supporting the bill is Nanette Ward, the chair of the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition.
“Pornography has played a significant part in their trafficking, whether they’d been exposed in the grooming process or whether it was forced upon them as sort of instruction to be sex trafficked,” Ward claimed concerning victims of sex trafficking, in support of HTCEPA.
While I might disagree with the idea porn plays a significant part in human trafficking, I’m inclined to give Ward the benefit of the doubt where the earnestness of her desire to combat human trafficking is concerned. As such, I’d hate to see her get sued, stalked or otherwise inconvenienced by an unhinged former ally in this effort.
On the other hand, I’d also hate to see Missouri spend time, effort and money defending HTCEPA in court, which the state almost certainly would need to do, should the legislature eventually pass the bill.
A public hearing was held on HTCEPA on March 5. As of the time this post was published, the bill had not been scheduled for another hearing, or placed on the House calendar, but there’s no indication the House has dropped its consideration of the bill, either.
Here’s hoping the Missouri legislature doesn’t pass HTCEPA – but also finds a way to shelve it without again sparking the litigious ire of Mr. Sevier.
The views expressed above are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any other individual, group, agency or company.
