As the California legislature works to reform a decade-old law that politicians on both sides of the aisle predominantly oppose, claiming it has destroyed the Golden State, Vice President Kamala Harris is a “critical” supporter of the measure.
Fox News reported that the law, Proposition 47, was introduced in 2024 and reclassifies multiple felonies, such as retail and property theft, as misdemeanors.
The law classifies petty theft of goods valued below $950 as a misdemeanor. This classification also corresponds to multiple offenses.
Proposition 47 also converted a slew of felonies dealing with narcotics possession to misdemeanors.
In 2023, the California legislature worked together to introduce a bill to amend Proposition 47, called the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act.
The bill has garnered the support of conservatives and liberals in California and will be included on the ballot in November.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (D) are among those who have joined efforts to modify Proposition 47.
Critics said that Harris was a “critical” supporter of the bill and has not said whether she wants to see Proposition 47 amended.
Trump’s campaign invited the former lieutenant governor of California to a rally and he just blasted Kamala Harris for helping pass Prop 47 which unleashed a massive crime wave
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) July 31, 2024
Wow 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fb3gCuftwT
Former deputy director of parole for the California prison system Douglas Eckenrod said, “Kamala Harris is not a hardliner [on crime].”
“Prop 47 couldn’t happen without the AG’s office support. Her support of it was literally critical,” Eckenrod added.
As Fox News pointed out, if the measure to amend Proposition 47 passes, fentanyl would be categorized as a hard drug, joining heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. It would be unlawful to possess fentanyl with a gun and offenders would receive serious consequences.
The reform would also establish stricter penalties for drug dealers responsible for the death of Americans. The measure warns traffickers of potential murder chargers if their actions result in deaths.
“California and Californians are very much at a tipping point. The public is sick and tired of the rampant open-air drug use, the homelessness issue and the theft that occurs before their eyes,” co-chair of Californians to Reduce Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft and CEO of the California District Attorneys Association, Greg Totten, told Fox News.
“I mean, they walk into stores, and products are locked up, inventories reduced,” Toten said. “Store hours are reduced. Stores are closing. Malls are closed. And so the public is ready for change.”
Opponents of Proposition 47 said that some unintended consequences of the law lead individuals in prison to become homeless. The law does not establish adequate consequences for crime and drug use at a time when drug treatment programs are not being frequented.
Harris served as Attorney General of California before reaching the U.S. Senate. During her tenure, she was responsible for writing descriptions of ballot initiatives that made it easier for voters to recognize what they were voting for.
Regarding Proposition 47, Harris wrote that the measure would reduce prison populations, create successful truancy programs and help California save money that could be used for mental health services and education.
Given her support for the law, former Los Angeles district attorney Steve Cooley blasted Harris for California’s rise in crime.
“The damage has been untold and, in a sense, irreparable,” Cooley said. “It was beyond a bait and switch. It was fraud by misrepresentation.”
Source: www.resistthemainstream.com
