California Democrats are playing “dirty tricks” against a bipartisan effort to put a measure amending Proposition 47 on the November ballot in support of other public safety bills, the official said.
Voter-approved Proposition 47, passed in 2014, loosened penalties for drug and property crimes in California and has been blamed for California’s rampant property crime problem. Californians for Safer Communities, a bipartisan group made up of law enforcement, elected officials and businesses, announced it has collected more than 900,000 signatures in support of an amendment to amend Proposition 47 to toughen penalties for criminal offenders.
But California Gov. Gavin Newsom and some Democrats don’t support the effort and are pushing public safety bills pending in the state Capitol aimed at addressing organized retail theft, auto break-ins and other crimes. They want those bills to go before voters instead of the reforms proposed in Proposition 47.
Some Democrats are planning to introduce a stall clause into the bill to prevent a series of proposed public safety bills from going into effect if voters approve the reforms of Proposition 47. They argue that’s a way to ensure the law is consistent.
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A large group of 30 to 50 people was captured on video looting at the Nordstrom at the Topanga Mall in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Instagram / @ella_ise24.)
“Democrats are using dirty tactics to try to block this bill,” California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital. “They think Proposition 47 is good policy. I think the majority of Californians are against them and want change.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the California Democratic Party and California for Safe Communities.
Proposition 47 made several crimes, such as shoplifting, grand larceny and receiving stolen property, misdemeanors instead of felonies if the value of the property does not exceed $950. It also reduced penalties for personal use of most illegal drugs under a certain weight.
Many law enforcement officials blame the measure for a rise in thefts and robberies that have plagued California since the coronavirus pandemic began, at a time when the state became synonymous with burglary after videos of thieves brazenly ransacking stores went viral.
Governor Newsom has taken a tougher stance on public safety recently as many Californians express concern about crime in their communities.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom was recently panned by critics for describing his state as a “national model” for tackling homelessness. (California Governor Gavin Newsom’s YouTube channel)
“There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of negotiations going on at the same time,” Newsom told reporters on Friday, “including Proposition 47.”
But those bills being pushed by Democrats don’t address personal theft, let alone burglary, fentanyl trafficking or drug treatment incentives, Gallagher said.
“Those three things are being done in this initiative that we need that aren’t being done in this (Democrats’) retail package,” Gallagher said.
Governor Newsom’s office said Monday that California has one of the strictest penalties for prosecutors to charge a theft suspect with a felony, up to $950, compared to other states which impose higher fines.
Last year, the Democratic governor announced he would spend more than $267 million to increase arrests and prosecutions of organized retail crime across the state. Earlier this year, Newsom recounted a time he witnessed a shoplifter steal from a Sacramento Target, after which he confronted the store clerk.
“I said, ‘Why didn’t you stop him?'” Newsom said during a Zoom call on mental health in January. “She said, ‘Oh, the governor.’ I swear to God, this is a true story that will be inscribed on my mother’s grave: ‘The governor lowered the standards, so he’s not to blame.’ I said, ‘That’s not true.'”
“This exact situation happens every day and his package doesn’t solve anything,” Gallagher said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Dublin, California, on December 17, 2021, about the headline-grabbing robbery at the upscale store. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group via The Associated Press)
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As for the potential dysfunctional provision, Republicans have called it a “poison pill.”
“Combating rising crime in California requires stronger laws both in the Legislature and at the ballot box,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said in a statement. “It is irresponsible to force voters into a false choice. Unfortunately, some Democratic politicians are too proud to admit they got it wrong on Proposition 47 and continue to deny that reform is desperately needed.”
