Legislation approved by California voters to reduce jail time for low-level crimes, faces of political roll back.
Proposition 47 was passes by in 2014. Ten years later there political support is surging to eliminate the law.
Republicans have criticized the law from its beginning, and have repeatedly attempted to overturn it. They insist the law, as it stands, encourages theft and lawlessness, with little fear of consequences, is leading a campaign to roll back parts of the proposition, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mayor London Breed D-San Francisco, said that she was originally in favor of the law, but, due to some of its “unintended consequences,” she is now supporting the Republican led overhaul efforts, asserted the article.
She said, “Our goal is not to keep people locked up. But when there are no real consequences for crimes that are committed in this city, that’s a real problem.”
Breed is not the only Democratic mayor of a major California city backing the efforts. Both the mayors of San Jose and San Diego have announced their support.
Democrats, for the most part, have backed Proposition 47, with the exception of a few party moderates. Recently, however, support among Democrats has been growing for overhauling the law, noted the story.
The measure seeks to “increase jail time for dealing large quantities of fentanyl, make it easier to charge drug dealers with murder and increase jail time for repeat thefts and organized retail theft,” according to the February 8, 2024, Chronicle article.
Supporters must collect over five-hundred thousand signatures by April 23 to place the proposal on the November ballot. The Chronicle lists the top campaign donors as Walmart, Target, Macy’s and the California Correctional Peace Officers Association stated the story.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and supporters of Proposition 47 contend that reduced time in jail for low-level offenses benefits communities and conserves money that could be used for programs aimed at crime prevention instead of punishment after the fact.
Gov. Newsom pointed out that California’s threshold of $950 for felony theft is one of the lowest in the nation and favors legislation making it easier for prosecutors to demonstrate that the $950 thresholds has been met.
He has called on lawmakers to send him legislation to increase punishments for organized retail theft and for people who resell stolen goods rather than abandoning the intent of Proposition 47, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
