Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and state Democratic leadership in the Golden State are backing off a competing ballot measure on retail theft and drugs to pit against an already approved measure that will appear before voters in November.
California Democrats had proposed a ballot measure to go up against the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, hoping to get their alternative passed through the legislature by the Wednesday deadline, but late Tuesday Democrats announced they would not be moving forward with their proposal.
Newsom laid blame on supporters of the ballot measure already confirmed for the ballot, arguing they would not negotiate on a compromise. He also said while he had the necessary votes, time ran out for the amendment to make it to the ballot.
“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,” Newsom said, according to Politico.
Greg Totten, co-chair of Californians for Safer Communities, the group backing the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, said he was “pleased” with the news in a statement on Tuesday.
“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,” Totten said.
The ballot measure would enhance some penalties for drug dealers, along with other enhanced penalties for criminals who have previously committed thefts. The amendment also works to modify Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure that reduced penalties for some crimes in the state that they have said is at the core of the spike in crime in the past decade.
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The proposed countermeasure was the Democrats’ latest attempt to kneecap the proposed amendment. Last month Democrats in the legislature attempted to add “poison pills” to anti-theft measures that would cause new laws designed to combat crime to be repealed upon the passage of the ballot measure. After pushback, Democrats removed the poison pill amendments last month.
Voters in the Golden State will decide the fate of the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act on Nov. 5.