California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that he and Democratic leaders in the state Legislature are negotiating to remove reforms to Proposition 47 from the November ballot, but Republican leaders have made clear they support letting voters decide whether parts of the proposal should be repealed.
Proposition 47, approved by voters in 2014, made several crimes, including shoplifting, theft and receiving stolen property, misdemeanors instead of felonies if the value doesn’t exceed $950. It also reduced penalties for personal use of most illegal drugs under a certain weight.
The initiative has been blamed by law enforcement, businesses and others for a rise in thefts in California, according to KCRA.
“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.”
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California Governor Gavin Newsom said he is in negotiations with Democratic leaders in the state Legislature to put an amendment to Proposition 47 on the November ballot. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The governor and some Democrats have said they do not support a bipartisan effort to amend Proposition 47. Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing a public safety bill under consideration at the Statehouse aimed at addressing organized retail theft, auto theft and other crimes after state residents expressed concern about rising crime.
According to the latest data from the California Secretary of State’s Office, reforms to Proposition 47 are likely to appear on the ballot. Reform supporters have collected 910,000 signatures in support of the ballot measure, but the signatures are still being verified.
According to KCRA, some Democratic lawmakers are planning to add an inoperability clause to the bill to prevent the public safety bill from going into effect if voters approve reforms to Proposition 47. Some Democrats say this is to ensure there are no contradictions in the law, but the campaign to reform Proposition 47 denied this claim on Friday.
Republicans have called the plan a “poison pill.” Republican leaders wrote to Democratic leaders Thursday that they oppose the “poison pill,” which would include repealing the retail theft measure if voters adopt the reforms of Proposition 47.
“Combating rising crime in California requires strengthening our laws both in the Legislature and at the ballot box,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said in a statement. “It would be irresponsible to force voters into making a false choice. Unfortunately, some Democratic politicians are too proud to admit they got it wrong with Proposition 47 and continue to deny that reform is desperately needed. The Democrats’ poison pill amendment is a cynical attempt to mislead voters and block a necessary overhaul of a broken law.”
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The governor and some Democrats have said they don’t support a bipartisan effort to fix Proposition 47. (MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
Newsom declined to say whether he would sign the bill if it contained an end-of-life provision, and when asked if he was confident voters would reject the bill if it appeared on the November ballot, he said he didn’t think it needed to be put to a vote.
“Why put something on the ballot that doesn’t actually accomplish the intended goal? Why do something that can be done legislatively with more flexibility? I think that’s a better approach,” he said.
The ballot measure would amend Proposition 47 to increase penalties for repeat theft offenders, imposing up to three years in prison for a third-time theft offender. The measure would classify possession of fentanyl as a felony.
“Democrats should stop playing politics over public safety and let voters decide whether to amend Proposition 47,” House Republican Leader James Gallagher said in a statement. “These poison pills show Democrats aren’t serious about ending the crime wave. They just want to look like they’re doing something because years of support for criminals have become a political burden.”
Proposition 47, approved by voters 10 years ago, made several crimes, including shoplifting, theft and receiving stolen property, misdemeanors instead of felonies if the value of the property doesn’t exceed $950. (Fox News)
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Senate Pro Tempore Mike Maguire, a Democrat, said the measure was unnecessary and that a legislative public safety package would be a better option.
“If you want laws to deter retail theft, this plan is exactly what our state needs,” Maguire said. “That’s why these bills are supported by police, firefighters, retailers, store owners and trusted local leaders. These 14 bills that will be debated next week aren’t about partisan politics — they’re about keeping Californians safe.”
California’s Secretary of State must certify the November ballot by June 27, meaning Democratic leaders have just a few weeks to negotiate a way to get the measure off the ballot.
