CALIFORNIA, USA — A measure to reform California Proposition 47 is expected to go to voters in November.
The California Secretary of State announced the measure became eligible and is on track to be certified for the November ballot on June 27.
The proposal needed 601,317 signatures to become eligible via random sampling.
Prop 47 changed the way California handled crimes such as theft, specifically by making thefts of less than $950 chargeable only as misdemeanors. This measure would allow felony charges for possession of certain drugs and for thefts under $950 with two prior drug or theft convictions. Other impacts would include increased sentences for certain drug and theft crimes.
According to the a summary estimate from the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance, there could be increased costs, potentially in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, for the state criminal justice system and tens of millions of dollars for local criminal justice systems.
Reform vs Legislation
The measure comes as the debate is heating up over who should decide how California addresses retail theft.
Democrats are pushing for lawmakers to pass a package of bills instead of the issue appearing before voters on the ballot. Republicans want the bills to pass without amendments and to pass the Prop 47 reform initiative.
"Hogwash has been coming from our Republican colleagues about the amendments needed for the senate and assembly's retail theft and fentanyl bills," Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire said in a Monday press conference, pushing back against criticism from Republicans.
"I will retort with a similar farm analogy: Mr. Pro Temp, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig and this is quite an oinker," said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher in a Tuesday morning press conference. "It's about politics."
The retorts are in regards to a package of public safety bills addressing retail theft in California. Republicans are speaking out against proposed amendments to some of the bills by Democrats that would add urgency and inoperability clauses.
This comes as an effort is underway to allow voters to reform Prop 47 through a ballot initiative. Prop 47 was passed by voters in 2014 and raised the threshold amount for misdemeanors.
Over the years, as retail theft became a bigger problem, calls to reform the law grew louder from retailers and law enforcement.
The bills appeared before the senate and assembly public safety committees Tuesday. Among them, a bill to consolidate theft charges over jurisdictions.
"We must give our law enforcement and local prosecutors the tools they need to address these sophisticated crime rings," said Rachel Michelin, with the California Retailers Association at the hearing.
"As a deputy public defender, I know that theft is an act of desperation and efforts to curb theft must address root causes," said Seoyeon Kim, a deputy public defender in San Francisco, speaking out in opposition of the bill at the hearing.
On Tuesday, the bills were voted on without amendments; however, lawmakers said the amendments will be taken up in the appropriations committee.
Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) spoke out against the amendments, touting the bipartisan support the bills received as is.
"If it comes up in appropriations, I will vote no on this because we don't need games," he said.
If the urgency clauses are added to the bills, they would go into effect immediately if the governor signs them.
