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Gov. Newsom cancels plan to put competing crime measure on the ballot
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Gov. Gavin Newsom is scrapping his plan to put another crime question
on the California ballot.The update, which KCRA 3 was the first to
report on Tuesday night, came as state lawmakers on Wednesday night
were scheduled to vote on whether to send the proposal to add new
penalties for drug dealers and repeat thieves, crafted by Newsom and
some Democratic state lawmakers, to the November ballot. The governor
said in a statement that changes he wanted to make to the measure
would not allow for him and legislature to meet a key deadline for it
to land on the ballot. Sources close the negotiations who spoke on the
condition they remain anonymous rebuffed that comment Tuesday night,
claiming the governor was not fully focused on getting the proposal on
the ballot and failed to build a coalition of law enforcement groups
to back the measure.Three sources involved in the effort first told
KCRA 3 about the nixed plan shortly after Newsom's campaign announced
the governor would be leaving California to attend a meeting at the
White House on Wednesday with President Joe Biden and other Democratic
governors. Newsom had spent the weekend whipping votes for his
proposed ballot initiative, which was meant to compete with another
that had qualified for the ballot and was backed by district attorneys
and business groups. That initiative would broadly ramp up penalties
for drug dealers and repeat thieves. "We are pleased the Governor and
Legislature have dropped their countermeasure and welcome them to join
our campaign to responsibly amend Prop 47 to deal with retail theft,
the fentanyl crisis and homelessness," said Greg Totten, a
representative for Californians for Safer Communities, a campaign that
backs the qualified measure to reform Proposition 47, which reduced
drug and theft penalties in California a decade ago. Lawmakers in the
Assembly Public Safety Committee spent part of Tuesday morning pushing
the measure forward and defending the proposal with business groups,
criminal justice groups, and Democratic lawmakers who were divided
over the issue. Lawmakers Tuesday night met in a closed-door meeting,
where they learned about the development. The governor later shared a
statement with KCRA 3 after this story was initially published,
confirming the proposal would not move forward, and promoting a set of
public safety bills moving through the state legislature. He claimed
the measure had the votes to get on the ballot. "Building on the
state's $1.1 billion investment to hire more police and tackle crime,
I will soon sign a robust public safety package that expands criminal
penalties, bolsters police and prosecutor tools, and cracks down on
retail theft — the most significant reform in decades. I look forward
to working with the Legislature and our public safety and retail
partners to go even further in the days ahead, without returning to
the damaging policies of decades past," Newsom said in a lengthy
statement. "For months, attempts were made to engage the California
District Attorneys Association in this effort. They refused, opting to
instead push a ballot measure that would revive policies from the era
of mass incarceration and the failed War on Drugs."Working with
stakeholders and the Legislature, we chose to introduce an alternative
measure for Californians to consider that represented a balanced and
comprehensive strategy that put public safety first without reverting
to outdated and ineffective policies of decades past. It included
stiff new penalties for repeat offenders, stricter measures to take
down fentanyl dealers, and expanded access to drug treatment programs
in our communities. "Despite these efforts and having the votes
necessary to pass the measure, we are unable to meet the ballot
deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measure's
success and we will be withdrawing it from consideration. "I'd like to
thank the Legislature and countless stakeholders who came to the table
to work on meaningful reforms and look forward to our work ahead," the
governor said. See more coverage of top California stories here |
Download our app.
**SACRAMENTO, Calif. —**
Gov. Gavin Newsom is scrapping his plan to put another crime question
on the California ballot.
The update, which KCRA 3 was the first to report on Tuesday night,
came as state lawmakers on Wednesday night were scheduled to vote on
whether to send the proposal to add new penalties for drug dealers and
repeat thieves, crafted by Newsom and some Democratic state lawmakers,
to the November ballot.
The governor said in a statement that changes he wanted to make to the
measure would not allow for him and legislature to meet a key deadline
for it to land on the ballot. Sources close the negotiations who spoke
on the condition they remain anonymous rebuffed that comment Tuesday
night, claiming the governor was not fully focused on getting the
proposal on the ballot and failed to build a coalition of law
enforcement groups to back the measure.
Three sources involved in the effort first told KCRA 3 about the nixed
plan shortly after Newsom's campaign announced the governor would be
leaving California to attend a meeting at the White House on Wednesday
with President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors.
Newsom had spent the weekend whipping votes for his proposed ballot
initiative, which was meant to compete with another that had qualified
for the ballot and was backed by district attorneys and business
groups. That initiative would broadly ramp up penalties for drug
dealers and repeat thieves.
"We are pleased the Governor and Legislature have dropped their
countermeasure and welcome them to join our campaign to responsibly
amend Prop 47 to deal with retail theft, the fentanyl crisis and
homelessness," said Greg Totten, a representative for Californians for
Safer Communities, a campaign that backs the qualified measure to
reform Proposition 47, which reduced drug and theft penalties in
California a decade ago.
Lawmakers in the Assembly Public Safety Committee spent part of
Tuesday morning pushing the measure forward and defending the proposal
with business groups, criminal justice groups, and Democratic
lawmakers who were divided over the issue. Lawmakers Tuesday night met
in a closed-door meeting, where they learned about the development.
The governor later shared a statement with KCRA 3 after this story was
initially published, confirming the proposal would not move forward,
and promoting a set of public safety bills moving through the state
legislature. He claimed the measure had the votes to get on the
ballot.
"Building on the state's $1.1 billion investment to hire more police
and tackle crime, I will soon sign a robust public safety package that
expands criminal penalties, bolsters police and prosecutor tools, and
cracks down on retail theft — the most significant reform in decades.
I look forward to working with the Legislature and our public safety
and retail partners to go even further in the days ahead, without
returning to the damaging policies of decades past," Newsom said in a
lengthy statement.
"For months, attempts were made to engage the California District
Attorneys Association in this effort. They refused, opting to instead
push a ballot measure that would revive policies from the era of mass
incarceration and the failed War on Drugs.
"Working with stakeholders and the Legislature, we chose to introduce
an alternative measure for Californians to consider that represented a
balanced and comprehensive strategy that put public safety first
without reverting to outdated and ineffective policies of decades
past. It included stiff new penalties for repeat offenders, stricter
measures to take down fentanyl dealers, and expanded access to drug
treatment programs in our communities.
"Despite these efforts and having the votes necessary to pass the
measure, we are unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary
amendments to ensure this measure's success and we will be withdrawing
it from consideration.
"I'd like to thank the Legislature and countless stakeholders who came
to the table to work on meaningful reforms and look forward to our
work ahead," the governor said.
**_See more coverage of top California stories here_** _|_ **
_Download our app_** _._
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