Californians have had direct democracy enshrined in our Constitution since 1911, a signature achievement of the progressive movement and Governor Hiram Johnson. Today, with Governor Gavin Newsom uttering the words “protecting democracy” in every interview leading up to his presidential run, you’d think California democracy was in pretty good shape.
That’s wrong. Far from protecting our democracy, Newsom has taken bold steps to manipulate what voters see on the ballot. He sued before the election to repeal the Taxpayer Protection Act, and then tried to kill a citizen initiative that would have made changes to Proposition 47, the criminal justice reform bill adopted by voters in 2014.
Proposition 47 was sold to voters as the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.” The measure reduced felonies such as theft and drug offenses to misdemeanors. Proposition 47 supporters vehemently deny that the measure is responsible for an increase in retail theft, car break-ins, and robberies.
“Nothing in Proposition 47 prevents local and state law enforcement from responding appropriately to retail thefts such as those concerns raised by voters.” explanation Lenore Anderson, co-author of the 2014 bill.
That may be true, but the bill’s other co-author is current Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who was elected in 2020 and quickly issued a series of directives that would certainly hinder law enforcement from responding appropriately.
Gascón is now fighting for a second term after facing a revolt from prosecutors, being on the brink of impeachment and winning just 25% of the vote in a crowded primary.
Last fall, a coalition of law enforcement agencies, backed by retailers, drafted a bill to change Proposition 47, which they called the “Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Property Reduction Act.” More than 900,000 California voters signed a petition to get the measure on the November ballot.
The bill would change the law to impose tougher penalties on repeat offenders, provide drug and mental health treatment options to avoid incarceration, and give judges discretion to order incarceration in state prison instead of county jail.
That last part, “state prisons,” may have fired up Newsom, who has long made it his goal to close as many California prisons as possible, and he immediately began leading an effort to get the bill off the ballot.
Email According to information leaked to CBS News, Governor Newsom’s chief of staff, Dana Williamson, met with supporters of the proposition on June 12 to try to convince them to withdraw the proposition in exchange for the governor signing a series of anti-theft bills. When no agreement was reached, Williamson offered to take “whatever steps necessary” to pass the proposed reforms to Prop. 47 if the coalition agreed to withdraw now and wait until 2026. But the coalition did not comply.
Governor Newsom and his allies then pressured state lawmakers to accept a “dysfunctional” amendment to the anti-theft bill that would automatically repeal the anti-theft law if voters passed the Proposition 47 reforms.
That’s a clever move, and Attorney General Rob Bonta could have written a misleading ballot title and summary about the measure, such as, “This measure repeals laws that increased penalties for crimes such as motor vehicle theft and retail theft.”
So clever, in fact, that even many Democrats were stunned. The amendment was removed.
Newsom’s next move was a competing “look-alike” ballot measure that was much weaker and would not allow judges to sentence someone to state prison. His allies in the state legislature arranged to have this measure placed at the top of the list of propositions voters would see on the ballot, with the actual Proposition 47 reforms placed near the end.
But late Tuesday night, Governor Newsom withdrew the bill, citing the need for “fixes” that could not be made in time to meet the deadline for voting. In California, bills must be published online in their “final version” 72 hours before the final vote. This rule is enshrined in the state constitution thanks to direct democracy. Proposition 54 In 2016, it was sponsored by Charles Munger Jr.
Newsom flew to Washington on Wednesday to help President Biden “save our democracy.” Manipulating votes is not democracy. All Newsom is trying to save is his own political career.
Susan Shelley is a columnist and editorial writer for the Southern California News Group and vice president of communications for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. X: @Susan_Shelley
