A campaign is underway to reform California’s decade-old criminal law, with opponents on both sides of the aisle saying it has wreaked havoc on the state, while a “critical” supporter of the law is running for president.
A 2014 law, Proposition 47, reclassified many felonies, including retail theft and theft of property, into misdemeanors. Proposition 47 also classifies petty theft of merchandise worth less than $950 as a misdemeanor, even if it is multiple offenses. It also changed a broad range of drug possession offenses that were previously felonies to misdemeanors.
A ballot initiative launched last year to amend Proposition 47, known as the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act (or Proposition 36), has garnered support from both conservative and liberal Californians and is expected to appear on the November ballot.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan have joined the ballot change effort along with district attorneys across the state. Vice President Kamala Harris has given the measure “decisive” support, critics say, and has not said whether she wants to change Proposition 47.
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Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked with addressing the root causes of mass migration from Latin America from the start of the Biden administration. (REUTERS/Kevin Mohat/Pool)
“Kamala Harris is not a hardliner. [on crime]Douglas Eckenrod, a former deputy director of parole for the California prison system, told NBC News, “Prop. 47 would not have passed without the support of the Attorney General’s office. Her support was literally critical.”
If passed, the initiative to amend Measure 47 would add fentanyl to the list of hard drugs, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, that are illegal to possess with a firearm, and would create more severe consequences for selling lethal amounts.
The bill would allow for tougher penalties for dealers who cause death or serious injury through drug trafficking and would warn dealers that they could be charged with murder if their continued drug trafficking leads to a death.
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the presidential campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 22, 2024. (Erin Shaff/Pool via Reuters)
“California and Californians are at a tipping point. People are tired of the rampant outdoor drug use, the homelessness problem and theft happening right in front of their eyes,” Greg Totten, co-chair of Californians to Reduce Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft and CEO of the California District Attorneys Association, told Fox News Digital.
“So when people go into the stores, they’re locked up, stock is reduced. Hours are reduced, stores are closed, malls are closed. So people are looking forward to change.”
Opponents say unintended consequences of Proposition 47 include a prison-to-homelessness pipeline, adding that it also leaves crime and drug use unpunished and underutilized drug treatment programs.
During her time as Attorney General, Harris and her office were responsible for writing ballot propositions that help voters decide what to vote for. Her explanation He predicted reduced prison populations, successful anti-school dropout programs, and state savings that could be used for mental health services and K-12 education.
Harris did not take an official stance, but Republicans accused her of misrepresenting the bill, NBC reported.
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Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential candidate, speaks at Sigma Gamma Rho’s 60th International Biennial Boulevard at the George R. Brown Convention Center on July 31, 2024 in Houston. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Steve Cooley, who served as Los Angeles County District Attorney from 2000 to 2012, blamed Harris and the vote for the rise in crime, NBC reported.
“The damage is immeasurable and in some ways irreparable,” said Cooley, who ran as a Republican against Attorney General Harris. “This was more than a bait-and-switch scheme. It was fraudulent misrepresentation.”
After Proposition 47 passed, law enforcement officials criticized Governor Harris for not acknowledging the significant decline in the collection of DNA samples to solve crimes like rape and murder. After the law went into effect, the amount of DNA samples collected each month dropped from 15,000 to 5,000.
“[I]If Harris was aware of the DNA issue, she could have replaced some of that language with these nine words: “Limit law enforcement’s ability to collect DNA samples. If Harris was not aware of the DNA issue, she is not doing her job,” The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board wrote in 2015.
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A former official told Fox News Digital that Harris’ ability to fight drugs and violent crime was “pocket-sized and empty.”
“That’s really her belief: She doesn’t want to run for office because she doesn’t know what impact it will have on her future,” the former government official said.
“She would say her job was not to take a formal stand, but she could have. She doesn’t want to do that. That’s just the way she is.”
“Had she written a fair and balanced ballot title, Californians might have understood the true impacts of Proposition 47 on public safety and our communities. Now, 10 years later, the truth is out.”
A spokesperson for Harris’ campaign told Fox News Digital in a statement: “During her career in law enforcement, Kamala Harris has been a hands-on prosecutor who has successfully cracked down on predators, con artists and cheaters like Donald Trump.”
