California Democrats are being accused of playing “dirty tricks” in opposition to a bipartisan effort to reform Proposition 47 on the November ballot.
Prop 47, a voter-approved initiative that passed in 2014, made crimes like shoplifting, grand theft, and receiving stolen property a misdemeanor if the value of the property did not exceed $950, and lowered the penalty for the personal use of most illegal drugs below a certain weight, according to Fox News.
The law has been blamed for California’s rampant theft problems, as the network noted, including brazen smash-and-grab robberies that are now commonplace in the state.
Courtesy of Prop 47 and the #CALeg Dems trying to defend this status quo as “good enough.”
Wake up and realize this is NOT NORMAL! https://t.co/6uxNnO5Hbo
— Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez (@AsmKateSanchez) June 10, 2024
The bipartisan group Californians for Safer Communities has reportedly collected more than 900,000 signatures in support of the proposed amendment to reform Prop 47 and increase criminal penalties. The group includes law enforcement, elected officials, and businesses.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats are pushing other “public safety” bills, with some looking to introduce inoperability clauses to prevent the bills from going into effect if voters approve the Prop 47 reforms.
“There’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of negotiations concurrently happening,” Newsom told reporters on Friday. “Prop 47 is included.”
“The Democrats are playing dirty tricks to try and stop it,” California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital. “They think that Prop 47 is good policy. I think the majority of Californians disagree with them and want to change it.”
Thank you @OCSheriffBarnes for taking a strong stand. Residents are fed up with the failed CA crime experiment. I don’t care what political party you belong to…This latest attempt to deceive voters must be rejected! #CALeg https://t.co/RTpoyW1eyd
— James Gallagher (@J_GallagherAD3) June 10, 2024
Gallagher joined with Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) last week to send a letter to Democratic leaders in the state assembly over what they see as “poison pills” designed to kill any reform of Prop 47.
“Democrats need to stop playing politics with public safety and let voters decide on fixing Prop. 47,” Gallagher said. “These poison pills show that Democrats aren’t serious about ending the crime wave–they just want to look like they’re doing something because their years-long support for criminals has become a political liability.”
“To combat the California crime wave, we need to strengthen our laws, both in the Legislature and at the ballot box,” Sen. Jones said. “It’s irresponsible to force voters into a false choice between the two. Unfortunately, some Democrat politicians are too prideful to admit their mistake with Prop 47 and they continue to deny the desperate need for reform. The Democrats’ poison pill amendments are a cynical attempt to mislead voters and prevent the necessary overhaul of our broken laws.”
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Author: Tom Tillison
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