More than 600,000 valid signatures were collected for the measure to revise Prop 47.
California’s Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, informed state elections officials on June 11 that a measure to reform Proposition 47 has qualified for the November ballot.
The measure reduced penalties for various drug and theft crimes in the state—such as drug possession and shoplifting—from felonies to misdemeanors, while also raising the felony theft threshold from $450 to $950.
The act would increase criminal penalties for repeat offenders of theft and drug crimes, while also offering incentives for individuals arrested for drug offenses to participate in and complete drug rehabilitation programs.
Related Stories
The measure aims to provide drug and mental health treatment for individuals addicted to hard drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
The measure to revise Prop collected 601,317 valid signatures from various counties, as announced by Ms. Weber’s office in an advisory notice. It required 546,651 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
How Prop 47 Would Change
The proposed changes would empower judges to sentence drug dealers to state prison, rather than county jail, if convicted of trafficking substantial amounts of hard drugs or if armed with a firearm during drug trafficking activities.
Additionally, the measure would increase penalties for drug dealers whose trafficking results in the death or serious injury of a drug user, elevate penalties for theft of $50,000 or more, and include fentanyl in laws prohibiting the possession of hard drugs while armed with a loaded firearm, among other provisions.
Californians for Safer Communities highlighted that the state is facing significant challenges in homelessness, drug addiction, mental health, and theft crises, partially attributed to the passage of Prop 47 in 2014.
“Our state currently has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the country, and drug overdoses now claim two to three times more lives in California than car accidents,” the group stated when announcing their amendment initiative late last year.
The measure offers “common sense, targeted reforms to Proposition 47 that legislative proposals alone cannot achieve,” and “provides balanced solutions to ensure the safety of our communities” amidst the prevalent theft issues in the state, according to Californians for Safer Communities.
Newsom, Democrats Oppose Prop 47 Reform
However, California Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democratic Party leaders in the state legislature have voiced opposition to the Prop 47 reform measure. Instead, they are advocating for a set of public safety bills that they believe will equip the state with additional tools to combat theft in retail stores and hold criminals accountable.
These bills include provisions to make theft from retail establishments with the intent to sell the merchandise a felony punishable by up to three years in prison, authorize the arrest of suspects even if the theft was not witnessed by law enforcement, establish a retail crime restraining order for up to two years to address vandalism, assault, and theft, and impose penalty enhancements for high-value property theft or destruction.
Notably, these measures do not enhance penalties for individuals convicted of shoplifting with two prior theft-related convictions, as proposed in the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act.
The Secretary of State stated in the June 11 advisory notice that her office will certify the initiative as qualified for the November ballot on June 27 unless withdrawn by the proponents prior to certification.
Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
Can you please rewrite this sentence?
Source link
