Legislative leaders plan to quickly pass bills to combat retail theft in California and use a package of reforms to pressure backers of a tough-on-crime initiative headed for the November ballot to abandon the effort.
In a closed-door discussion this week, representatives for House Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) met with leaders behind the California Safe Communities Coalition, a coalition led by local district attorneys that has been in seeking support from voters to reform Proposition 47, which voters passed in 2014.
Two people familiar with the meeting said legislative leaders are taking a hard line, leaving voters to choose between the two efforts and potentially splitting support for the ballot measure.
Unless the ballot measure is withdrawn, Democratic leadership plans to add a “non-operable provision” to their legislation that would ban the statewide proposal if voters pass it in November, according to sources and a letter from Republicans to legislative leaders. The new law will be withdrawn.
Republican lawmakers condemned the changes in their letter, saying they would “severely undermine” bipartisan progress on retail theft. Lawmakers are advancing a bipartisan package of 12 bills that would address retail theft and focus on keeping workers and store owners safe without imposing harsher penalties for certain offenders.
The proposed ballot initiative takes a different approach, amending Proposition 47 to make possession of fentanyl a felony, subject to up to state prison time for repeat offenders who commit a third theft — regardless of the value of the stolen product. Three years. A spokesman for the ballot measure movement declined to comment on the meeting.
“The speaker has done more in eight months to move the conversation forward than anyone has done in eight years, and I think the room was full of people,” said Daniel Conway, vice president of government relations for the California Grocers Association. Everyone acknowledges this. “That’s why we have to make a sincere effort to see what we can do. “
Proposed legislation and ballot measures are focused on addressing retail theft. But over the past few months, disagreements have grown over the best way forward. Governor Gavin Newsom has made it clear that he does not want proposed changes to Proposition 47 on the November ballot, saying effective changes can be made through the legislative process. But law enforcement groups and conservative prosecutors say the only way to enact substantive change is to return it to voters.
California voters approved Proposition 47 in 2014, which reclassified some felony drug and theft charges as misdemeanors and raised the amount for larceny charges as a felony from $400 to $950.
Political wrangling and changes leaders plan to make to the legislation could lead to divisions within the ballot measure coalition, which has support from law enforcement groups and funding from major retailers.
The Grocers Association, which represents more than 6,000 food stores and grocery providers, remains supportive of the ballot measure and legislation.
Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, told the Times she supports the legislative package and believes it will do more for retailers than a ballot initiative. But she is frustrated by the politics on all sides.
“I just want to provide resources to retailers and law enforcement to ensure the safety of our customers,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know if the supporters of the initiative will make concessions. My concern is that if they take the initiative, we will lose all these things in the package. That will be harmful.
