Surprise: Democrat Mayors In PRC Back Measure Which Locks Up Repeat Thieves

They may be backing it, but, do they really believe this, or, are they just trying to placate voters temporarily? Or feeling the heat of lost donations from big companies?

Liberal California mayors are backing this ballot measure that could lock up repeat retail thieves

For the first time in ten years, California voters could get the opportunity to change a controversial law aimed at criminal justice reform.

A new proposal, called The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, would roll back parts of Proposition 47, approved by California voters in 2014 to reduce overcrowding in jails by reducing punishments for some crimes, like theft and drug possession.

Many of the proposal’s backers are exactly who you’d expect: district attorneys, Republican lawmakers and big chain stores that have been lashing out against a Covid-era rise in shoplifting that last year subsided. But it has support from a handful of Democratic mayors, too.

Although Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes the proposal, arguing the system is sufficiently tough on crime. But it appears destined to be decided by voters: The proposal needs fewer than 547,000 signatures to get on California’s ballot in November, and organizers tell CNN they have 75% of the signatures needed.

Will Democrat voters sign on in high enough numbers?

Under the new proposal, “an offender with two prior convictions for theft can be charged with a felony, regardless of the value of the stolen property.” It would also allow prosecutors to add together the value of property stolen across multiple thefts to exceed the $950 threshold for a felony charge, and create harsher punishments for organized retail theft rings. (big snip)

When Prop 47 was approved by California voters ten years ago, it turned most drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. And right now, non-prescription fentanyl is not listed on Prop 47 as a hard drug that can result in harsher punishments in certain cases.

The new proposal would create harsher penalties for people who deal fentanyl and other hard drugs.

You know, common sense. Things that are freaking common sense. They can certainly find other ways to punish these people rather than mass incarceration in horrible living conditions, but, criminals need to be punished. They need to know there are consequences for their actions. Which is the opposite of what the People’s Republik Of California has been doing.

The post Surprise: Democrat Mayors In PRC Back Measure Which Locks Up Repeat Thieves appeared first on Pirate’s Cove.