(The Center Square) – California legislators at a rally against Proposition 36, a bill that would increase penalties for repeat theft and major drug crimes, claimed media was behind the increase in perception that crime in the state is worsening.
In a video from KCRA, California’s leading legislators gathered in front of the state capitol building for a “No on 36” rally. Prop. 36 an anti-crime ballot measure that a new Los Angeles Times poll says 56% of voters support and only 23% oppose. Prop. 36 would change Prop. 47, a 2014 measure that turned potential felonies into misdemeanors for many crimes, by allowing for felony charges for serial thieves. It would also create a “treatment-mandated felony” crime class that allows individuals to get treatment for mental health or behavioral issues and receive shelter instead of going to prison.
Democratic legislators speaking against Prop. 36 warned that the bill would significantly increase the prison population and disproportionately affect underserved and minority communities, and that the media is to blame for the perceptions driving anti-crime sentiment among voters.