California’s criminal referendum reform proposal, which lowers penalties for petty theft and drug possession, is expected to be voted on in November after collecting an “unprecedented” number of signatures.
The 2014 law in question, Proposition 47, reclassified some felonies as misdemeanors, such as retail theft and property theft.
Under Proposition 47, petty theft of merchandise valued at less than $950 would be classified as a misdemeanor, even if it is a multiple crime. It also broadly targeted drug possession crimes, which were previously felonies, and converted them to misdemeanors.
But the ballot initiative to amend Proposition 47, called the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, has secured the more than 900,000 public signatures needed to officially bring the measure to a vote in November, and the required It received well over 500,000 signatures.
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San Francisco Mayor London Breed supports Proposition 47’s reforms. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Sacramento County District Attorney Tien Ho, who supported the effort, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that some Golden State residents waited in line for hours to sign the petition. He said he was there.
“That’s how it is and how popular it is. That’s how people feel, and it spans the entire spectrum,” Ho said.
“It goes beyond political lines, it goes beyond racial boundaries, it goes beyond social and economic boundaries. It’s small businesses, large corporations, ordinary people who are working very hard” on reform, he said. It’s the people, he added.
Proposition 47, enacted in 2014, was an effort to reduce incarceration. One of the mechanisms for bringing about any change is that it cannot be done by law, but only by a direct vote of the people.
“We needed about 500,000 signatures to get it on the ballot. Instead, we ended up collecting orders and submitting more than 900,000 signatures, which is unprecedented,” Ho said. Told.
The prosecutor’s office said it agrees with the “spirit” behind Prop. 47, but the law needs to change to stop its “unintended consequences,” which he called the “fentanyl crisis” and “the fentanyl crisis.” “Retail Theft Crisis” and “Retail Theft Crisis.” “Homeless crisis”.
Ho said a major retailer in Sacramento said the area is No. 1 for theft for the company, and that one of its stores in the area saw a 253% increase in thefts between 2022 and 2023. He pointed out that he did.
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Sacramento County District Attorney Tien Ho noted that a major Sacramento retailer told him the area was No. 1 for theft. (Universal Images Group, via Getty Images)
He also said one family-run convenience store in the area reported six out of 10 customers committing theft.
“And you talk about fentanyl. We’re seeing a real crisis in terms of fentanyl overdoses and deaths. 400 people died from fentanyl poisoning in Sacramento County last year. We see that the number one cause of death is drug overdose, ‘mainly from fentanyl,”’ Ho said.
If passed, the initiative would add fentanyl to the list of hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, make it illegal to possess in a firearm, and allow for greater impact on the sale of lethal doses. .
It will also allow tougher penalties for drug dealers who die or are seriously injured during drug trafficking, and warn drug dealers that they could be charged with murder if they continue to sell drugs and someone dies.
“I think people feel like there’s a public safety crisis because things are so intertwined here. As a result, people have waited in line for 30 minutes or even an hour to sign a petition. ”’ Ho said.
Two Democratic progressive mayors in California’s two largest cities, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, endorsed the reform campaign earlier this year.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported in February that Breed, who initially supported Prop. 47, said the measure had unintended consequences at a time when the city is trying to crack down on illegal drugs and theft. He said that he is seeing this happening with his own eyes.
“Our goal is not to keep people locked up,” she says. “But when there are no real consequences for crimes committed in this city, that’s a serious problem.”
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If passed, the amendments to Proposition 47 would classify repeat theft as a felony for individuals who steal less than $950 if they have two or more previous theft-related convictions. (St. Petersburg)
If passed, the amendments to Proposition 47 would classify repeat theft as a felony for individuals who steal less than $950 if they have two or more previous theft-related convictions.
It also allows the value of property stolen from multiple thefts to be combined, meaning repeat offenders could face felony charges if the total exceeds $950.
This law provides that if a criminal participates in organized theft with two or more other criminals and steals, damages, or destroys property or causes a loss of $50,000 or more, the criminal must be brought to court. It allows government officials to impose enhanced penalties.
The initiative also establishes a new type of crime called “mandatory-to-treat felonies,” which allow offenders with multiple hard drug possession convictions to receive drug and mental health treatment in lieu of incarceration. You will be given the option to participate. Also, offenders who successfully complete treatment can avoid prison time and have their charges dismissed completely.
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Among the many signatories are California business owners who are calling for policy changes to curb crime that affects their lives.
Tony Konja, owner of the Keg and Bottle chain of upscale liquor stores in San Diego, told Fox News Digital that the opportunity to pass criminal law changes to voters gives him and other business owners “hope.” Told.
“It gives us hope that it will change because something has to happen,” he said. “As you know, it’s hard to get by as a small business owner these days.”
“The crazy thing is that before, when a crime happened, you would call the police and the police would come, and people were afraid to commit a crime,” said Konja, who took over the business from his father.
But now, he says, “the brazenness of the homeless, the brazenness of the people who come to steal, is insane.” Konja said the crimes span all levels of sophistication and happen so often that police sometimes don’t show up.
“Sometimes the police don’t show up, and they take too long to show up because they know there’s nothing they can really do,” he said.
Konja said the voting plan’s success “is because it’s just common sense.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Breed and Mahan for comment.
