SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Democratic leaders’ public safety ballot measure flamed out when Gov. Gavin Newsom shockingly withdrew the proposal at the last minute.
Now, legislators are pushing ahead with a retail theft bill package in their continued opposition of Proposition 36 — a November ballot measure backed by law enforcement groups and Republicans (and some Democrats) that would roll back parts of 2014’s Prop. 47.
Key parts of the package could be voted on by the Senate as soon as Thursday and by the Assembly on Monday to reach the governor’s desk next week.
The major bill is the Retail Theft Reduction Act, authored by Assemblymember Rick Zbur, a Los Angeles Democrat and chairperson of the select committee on retail theft.
Assembly Bill 2943 would create a new felony charge for thieves who steal more than $950 worth of property with the intent to “sell, exchange, or return the merchandise for value.” The value of the stolen items can also be totaled together if the person committed thefts within two years, or acted with someone else who also had the intent to sell.
Currently under Prop. 47, thefts of goods worth less than $950 can only be charged as misdemeanors, not felonies — a provision that critics blame for retail thefts.
After Democrats introduced their failed anti-crime ballot measure last month, AB 2943 was amended to avoid any duplicative or conflicting provisions. But now that the proposition has been nixed, the bill was amended Monday to revert back to essentially the same version the Assembly greenlit in May.
- Zbur, in a statement to CalMatters: “The Legislature will move forward quickly in August to deliver effective solutions to retail theft that protect our store owners and businesses and keep workers and shoppers safe. These proposals are the culmination of months of hard work involving retailers, small businesses, law enforcement, workers, community advocates, and other key stakeholders who need solutions now.”
Retail theft has been one of the most contentious issues of the session, so it’s understandable why legislative leaders are trying to finish the bills well before the pressure cooker leading up to the Aug. 31 adjournment.
First introduced in June, the bill package started out with 14 measures to combat retail theft and drug dealing. Initially considered a bipartisan effort, the package later drew ire among Republicans after Democrats moved to add “poison pill” provisions to some of the bills that would kill them (if they were signed into law), once Prop. 36 passed.
The amendments were ultimately walked back after the dustup. But since then, one bill has been pulled from consideration, while another legislator withdrew their authorship. Newsom signed two others into law in July, related to reimbursing providers for substance use disorder treatments and Medi-Cal billing.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
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