Several California Democratic lawmakers break with Gavin Newsom, endorse Proposition 36
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SEVERAL CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS BACK PROP. 36
Several California Democratic lawmakers have thrown their support behind Proposition 36, the ballot measure to roll back the reforms of 2014’s Proposition 47, which raised the felony threshold for certain theft- and drug-related crimes.
This puts the lawmakers squarely in opposition to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has attacked Prop. 36 as “drug policy reform” that “increases the size of our prison population by tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, over the next decade at a profound cost to the taxpayers.”
So who’s coming out in favor of the November ballot measure, which is backed by major corporations including Walmart, Target and Home Depot?
Notably, it includes State Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, who is in a hotly contested race with Republican Scott Baugh to succeed outgoing Rep. Katie Porter in Congress. Porter, an Orange County Democrat, lost her bid for a U..S. Senate seat in the March primary.
Other lawmakers who signed on in support of the ballot measure include Sens. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton; Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield; Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park; and Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana; as well as Assemblymembers Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey; Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano; James Ramos, D-San Bernardino; and Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove.
“I am proud to support Proposition 36. This initiative is crucial for addressing the daily persistent issues that our communities and small businesses face in rising crime and severe drug use. This measure offers a balanced solution to these pressing problems by holding repeat offenders accountable and promoting rehabilitation to help Californians through a compassionate approach,” Nguyen said in a statement.
The ballot measure is likely to be one of the most hotly contested of the November election, as it pits Democrat against Democrat to determine whether California’s recent criminal justice reforms will stand or be undone.
CALIFORNIA CLAIMS 21 OLYMPIC MEDALS
The 2024 Olympics are in the history books now. How did the Golden State fare in the medal count?
Californian Olympians brought home six gold medals, eight silvers and seven bronzes, according to a weekend statement from Newsom’s office. That makes 21 medals in all — sixth of all 126 medals won by U.S. Olympic athletes during the 16 days of games in Paris, which dominated news headlines.
California is sure to play an even bigger role in four years, when Los Angeles plays host to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“No hard feelings. He respects his good friend.”
- White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, discussing former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s role in effectively pushing him out of the presidential race, in a Monday press conference. (h/t to The Bee’s Gillian Brassil)
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This story was originally published August 13, 2024 at 4:55 AM with the headline "Several California Democratic lawmakers break with Gavin Newsom, endorse Proposition 36."