Additional Coverage:
- EXCLUSIVE: Leaked email reveals Newsom’s office declined to negotiate with DAs over 2024 Prop. 47 ballot measure (newsbreak.com)
Leaked emails uncovered by CBS News California Investigates have disclosed that California Governor’s Chief of Staff is not open to compromise on enhancing a Democratic crime bill package unless there’s an agreement to delay a ballot measure aimed at amending Prop. 47 to 2026. The ballot initiative, known as the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, seeks to modify the 2014 law that decreased penalties for drug possession and thefts under $950. Contrary to being a Republican initiative, it is backed by a coalition including crime victims, business, and public safety leaders, with notable former DAs involved.
Major contributors to the initiative, which has successfully made it onto the ballot, include retail giants Walmart and Target. Democratic leaders have suggested their own legislation to tackle property crime and address Prop 47’s shortcomings, a move that doesn’t require voter approval and is seen as a less radical approach compared to the proposed ballot measure.
Despite initial willingness for discussions to strengthen the Democratic proposals, the email exchange suggests a deadlock, with the Governor’s office preferring to avoid a vote on Prop. 47 reforms this cycle. A pointed email from the Governor’s Chief of Staff implied resistance to the coalition’s insistence on immediate reforms, signifying a halt in negotiations.
In response to the stalled talks, Democratic leaders have introduced a clause in their legislation that would render their bills null if the ballot measure passes, leading to dissent within their ranks and uncertainty about the package’s future success.
Statements from both parties encapsulate the tension, with the coalition emphasizing their goal to rectify Prop. 47’s negative impacts on crime and drug abuse, lamenting the politicization of public safety. The Governor’s office highlighted its routine engagement with various stakeholders and pointed out the breakdown in communication with the coalition.
This standoff underscores the complex interplay of politics, public safety, and policy reform in California’s approach to crime and justice.