{"id":2343923,"date":"2024-09-20T12:32:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T16:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-backs-out-of-fight-against-popular-ballot-measure-toughening-crime-laws-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-20T12:36:40","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T16:36:40","slug":"newsom-backs-out-of-fight-against-popular-ballot-measure-toughening-crime-laws-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-backs-out-of-fight-against-popular-ballot-measure-toughening-crime-laws-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsom backs out of fight against popular ballot measure toughening crime laws &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnewsom-backs-out-of-fight-against-popular-ballot-measure-toughening-crime-laws-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2343923&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>California \u200bGovernor Gavin Newsom has\u200b announced \u2062that he will not actively campaign\u200d against Proposition 36, a popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-5-ore-counties-vote-on-leaving-state-residents-want-to-detach-from-deep-blue-state-and-join-greater-idaho\/\" title=\"Report: 5 Ore. counties vote on leaving state, residents want to detach from deep blue state and join Greater Idaho\">ballot measure<\/a> that aims to strengthen penalties for certain crimes \u2062and modify treatment incentives for drug offenders. During a press conference, Newsom cited his limited capacity\u200c due to other political responsibilities, including campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris and managing numerous legislative initiatives. He expressed concern that he cannot \u2062devote resources to \u2062oppose Proposition 36, particularly as a \u2064recent poll showed strong public support for \u2062the\u2063 measure, with 71% of likely voters favoring\u2062 it.<\/p>\n<p>Proposition 36 would \u2062reclassify some drug \u2062possession charges as felonies and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-biden-unveils-immigration-bill-leftwing-activists-call-for-end-to-filibuster-to-ram-it-through\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Biden Unveils Immigration Bill, Leftwing Activists Call For End To Filibuster To Ram It Through\">increase penalties<\/a> for theft, while offering potential reductions in felony charges for successful treatment completion. Newsom \u2063described the measure\u200d as \u200ba \u201creal setback\u201d for the \u200bstate, suggesting that voters \u200cmight not fully understand its implications. He emphasized\u2062 the \u200dneed for voters to carefully consider \u200cProposition 36 before\u2064 supporting it, as\u200d its implementation lacks funding. Supporters of the measure believe it could incentivize drug offenders to seek \u2062rehabilitation, \u2064contrasting with the current misdemeanor approach that they\u2062 argue is \u2064insufficient to motivate change.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Newsom backs out of fight against popular ballot measure toughening crime laws<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1744966\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA) indicated that targeting a popular <a href=\"https:\/\/lao.ca.gov\/BallotAnalysis\/Proposition?number=36&amp;year=2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ballot measure<\/a> strengthening penalties for crimes and revamping treatment incentives for drug offenders would not be his top priority ahead of November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>During a Thursday afternoon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YF-ySp01HbU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>press conference<\/a>, the California Democrat said he was focusing on other matters, including stumping for Vice President Kamala Harris, over campaigning against Proposition 36.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a question of bandwidth,&rdquo; Newsom said. &ldquo;I fear I can&rsquo;t do everything. I&rsquo;ve got, trying to get Kamala Harris elected president of the United States, trying to get through these 900 bills.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Newsom added that his capacity has been stretched to the limit, with five other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-de-blasio-establishes-racial-justice-commission-stocked-with-aides-and-allies\/\" title=\"Bill De Blasio Establishes \u2018Racial Justice\u2019 Commission Stocked With Aides And Allies\">ballot measures<\/a> he is also concerned about and his focus on battling homeless encampments.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a question of what you&rsquo;re capable of doing,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Newsom speaks during a press conference on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in San Francisco. (Ethan Varian\/Bay Area News Group via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He indicated he would not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eric-swalwell-spent-campaign-money-at-super-bowl-50k-on-nfl-event-tickets\/\" title=\"Eric Swalwell used campaign funds to purchase Super Bowl tickets and spent ,000 on NFL event tickets\">spend campaign funds<\/a> to target the ballot measure that would &ldquo;set the state back.&rdquo; Rather than waging war against the tough-on-crime ballot measure, he said he would leave the matter for residents to investigate. &ldquo;I just pray, I really do, that people take a good look at Proposition 36,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>His latest remarks came the day after a poll showing Californians <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3159361\/californians-heavily-backing-tough-crime-ballot-proposition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>heavily favored<\/a> Proposition 36. The measure would allow felony charges for certain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/drugs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>drug<\/a> possession and thefts under $950 in value for offenders who have two prior similar convictions. It would also increase prison sentences for other drug and theft charges. Additionally, it would drop felony charges against some drug offenders if they successfully <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/christian-thinkers-offer-the-new-apologetics-just-when-we-need-it-most\/\" title=\"Christian Thinkers Offer \u2018The New Apologetics\u2019 Just When We Need It Most\">complete treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Voters in the state back the ballot initiative 71% to 26%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California survey.&nbsp;Their support comes as property crimes have risen across the state and hot spots such as San Francisco have been decimated by drug use.<\/p>\n<p>Newsom weighed in on the poll on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The fact that I saw a poll today and saw 70% of people want to support it, I was wondering what state I was living in,&rdquo; he said during the press conference.&nbsp;&ldquo;Prop 36 is a real setback, and it appears clearly that the public has a different point of view.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He said Californians were supporting the measure because they &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t read it, and that was disappointing to me.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Gov. Gavin Newsom is speaking about the new <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PPICNotes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PPICNotes<\/a> poll that shows 71% of CA likely voters support Prop 36:<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was wondering what state I was living in,&rdquo; he said upon reading the results of the poll. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I know people are frustrated. I know people are angry. But this is not&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/phtd327Mhx\">pic.twitter.com\/phtd327Mhx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EytanWallace\/status\/1836828086597472521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the measure said it would motivate drug users, many of whom shoplift to fund their addiction, to finish treatment programs. Newsom said it would be impossible to follow through with the promise because there is &ldquo;not $1 attached&rdquo; to the initiative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, advocates of the bill told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that facing a felony charge could be the &ldquo;stick&rdquo; drug offenders need to finish rehabilitation treatments. Drug offenders and shoplifters across the state currently face a misdemeanor for breaking the law.<\/p>\n<p>Tom Wolf, who recently founded a drug advocacy group called the Pacific Alliance for Prevention and Recovery, said that while drug offenders often have the option of having the misdemeanor removed from their record if they finish treatment, the charge usually isn&rsquo;t heavy enough to nudge them into rehabilitation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Prop 36, with a felony hanging over you, there&rsquo;s more of an incentive for you to actually go through complete treatment because you don&rsquo;t want to face penalties,&rdquo; Wolf said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wolf was a homeless, recovering heroin addict from San Francisco before launching advocacy initiatives. He said Proposition 36 &ldquo;may seem like negative incentives, but they&rsquo;re incentives nonetheless.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Newsom also said there wouldn&rsquo;t be enough treatment beds in the state to support the measure if it passes. It&rsquo;s &ldquo;an unfunded mandate to guarantee something that doesn&rsquo;t even exist in 22 counties,&rdquo; he warned.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, Wolf pointed to a ballot measure California passed earlier this year to address concerns that the state&rsquo;s infrastructure would be overwhelmed. Proposition 1 poured billions of dollars into behavioral health treatment centers and created 6,800 residential treatment beds across the state.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Proposition 1, despite what the governor says, goes literally hand in hand with Proposition 36 because Proposition 36 is going to create a vehicle, i.e., revamped the drug court system in California, to actually usher people into those treatment beds that are going to be created as a result of Proposition 1,&rdquo; he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1744966\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1744966\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has decided not to prioritize opposing a widely supported ballot measure that aims to increase penalties for crimes and reform treatment incentives for drug offenders as the November election approaches. At a press conference on Thursday, he stated that his focus would be on other issues, including campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris, rather than fighting against Proposition 36. &#8220;It&#8217;s a question of bandwidth,&#8221; Newsom explained, noting that he is stretched thin with various responsibilities, including addressing homelessness and managing five other ballot measures.<\/p>\n<p>He expressed his intention not to allocate campaign resources against the measure that he believes could hinder progress in the state. Instead of actively campaigning against it, he urged residents to thoroughly examine Proposition 36 themselves. His comments followed a poll indicating strong support among Californians for the proposition, which would allow felony charges for certain drug possession and thefts under $950 if offenders have two prior similar convictions. It would also lengthen prison sentences for various drug-related offenses while allowing some drug offenders to avoid felony charges upon successful completion of treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Newsom reacted to the poll results by expressing surprise at the level of public support: &#8220;I was wondering what state I was living in,&#8221; he remarked during the press conference. He suggested that many Californians might be backing Proposition 36 without fully understanding its implications.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters argue that this measure could encourage drug users\u2014who often resort to shoplifting\u2014to complete treatment programs by imposing stricter penalties. However, Newsom contended there are no financial resources tied to this initiative and questioned its feasibility given California&#8217;s current lack of treatment facilities.<\/p>\n<p>Advocates countered by stating that facing felony charges might provide necessary motivation for individuals struggling with addiction to seek rehabilitation services more seriously than they do under current misdemeanor laws. They pointed out recent legislative efforts like Proposition 1, which allocated significant funding towards expanding behavioral health services and creating additional residential treatment beds across California\u2014resources they believe will complement Proposition 36 effectively.<\/p>\n<p>In summary, while Newsom has opted not to engage directly with this contentious issue ahead of November&#8217;s vote due to competing priorities and concerns about public understanding of the measure&#8217;s consequences, supporters maintain it could play an essential role in addressing addiction challenges within California<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2343924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Newsom-Press-Conference.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[32912,4045,41339,3678,5894],"class_list":["post-2343923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-ballot-measure","tag-california","tag-crime-laws","tag-newsom","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Newsom-Press-Conference.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2343923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}