Californians for Safer Communities Urge AG Rob Bonta to Not Play Politics with Initiative to Reform Prop. 47

Rampant retail theft throughout California cities has caused thousands of small business and store closures. Escalating fentanyl overdoses are killing young Californians at a stunning rate. In reaction to the destruction of California, 900,000 Californians signed the petition to qualify the Reform Prop. 47 initiative, the “Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act,” for the November 2024 ballot.

“Fentanyl is literally killing our children,” said Greg Totten, Co-chair of Californians for Safer Communities Wednesday morning at a press conference to address reforms to Proposition 47.” Politics is literally killing our children.”

This bi-partisan measure provides common sense, targeted reforms to Proposition 47 that legislative proposals alone are unable to deliver, the Safer Communities Coalition says.

The bipartisan group of more than 2,000 small businesses, social justice organizations, victims and law enforcement, held a press conference Wednesday morning to oppose the “poison pill” amendment provision by Democrat Legislative Leaders in their “retail theft” package, rushed through to mislead voters. According to the “poison pill” amendment, the legislative bills would be repealed if the ballot initiative to restore safety to cities and communities is approved by voters in November, rather than complimenting the ballot initiative.

“The poison pill proves they are not serious about the retail theft and Fentanyl crisis,” Totten added.

Democrats have had 10-years since the passage of Proposition 47 to legally address the crimes Prop. 47 turned into misdemeanors from felonies, and ushered in a decade of serial retail theft, homelessness, drug trafficking, sex crimes, sex trafficking and other violent and terrible crimes. And every legislative attempt was summarily killed or never even given a hearing.

The ballot initiative seeks to:

• Address Organized and Serial Retail Theft by:
  • classifying repeated theft as a felony for individuals who steal less than $950 if they have two or more prior theft convictions;
  • allowing stolen property values to be combined so repeat offenders can be charged with a felony if the total exceeds $950;
  • Authorizing judges to impose an enhanced penalty when an offender steals, damages, or destroys property by participating in organized theft with two or more offenders or by causing losses of $50,000 or more.
• Confront the Fentanyl Crisis in Our Communities by defining fentanyl as a hard drug, hold individuals convicted of trafficking fentanyl accountable, and grant judges greater discretion in sentencing drug traffickers.
• Prioritize Mental Health and Drug Treatment by providing critical mental health, drug treatment services, and job training within our justice system for people who are homeless and suffering from mental illness or struggling with substance abuse.
  • enacts a new class of crime called a “treatment-mandated felony” where offenders with multiple hard drug possession convictions would be given the option of participating in drug and mental health treatment in lieu of incarceration;
  • Allowing offenders who successfully complete drug and mental health treatment to avoid jail time and have the charge fully expunged.

Notably, as the District Attorneys have explained, only the voters can make constitutional changes to Proposition 47, because it was passed by the voters. Anything passed legislatively to address Prop. 47 specific issues would be legally challenged.

Speakers included:

• Greg Totten, Co-chair of Californians for Safer Communities
• Mayor Bobbie Allen-Singh, City of Elk Grove
• Allison Hayley, Napa County District Attorney
• Rev. Mac Shorty, Founder of Community RePower Movement
• Karen Aboud, Boardmember, National Diversity Coalition
• Robert Rivinus, Executive Director, Family Business Association of California
• Jay King, President and CEO, California Black Chamber of Commerce
• Pamela Smith, Founder, Mothers in Grief Support Group
• Angela Webb, CEO and Executive Director, Arrive Alive California
• Chris Didier, Executive Board Member, Victims of Illicit Drugs

And a large group of Sacramento area business owners and community leaders.

Each speaker urged Attorney General Rob Bonta to maintain integrity when writing the ballot title and summary for the “Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act” (Initiative 23-0017A1), by giving the initiative a proper ballot title and summary.

“The Legislature is engaging in political gamesmanship by adding poison pill amendments to their bills, designed to mislead the public and sabotage the commonsense ballot measure that amends Prop. 47 to hold repeat retail theft and drug traffickers accountable,” Californians for Safer Communities said.

Indeed. At this juncture, the bizarre reaction by legislators and Democrat legislative leaders leaves many questioning their motives. Why wouldn’t they support reforms to Prop. 47 when business owners in their legislative districts are suffering, and children are overdosing on Fentanyl. Lawmakers, attempting to prevent Democracy, are behaving as if they are Soros-funded politicians. Why?

Speakers at Wednesday’s press conference said small business and minority owned businesses are under assault, employees are physically attacked, their stores are robbed, they suffer serial thefts, and cannot possibly sustain.

Robert Rivinius, the Executive Director of the Family Business Association said there are more than 1 million family businesses in California, which employ 7 million people, demonstrating what an integral part of the state economy they are.

“Our livelihoods are at stake,” said Jay King with the California Black Chamber of Commerce. “It’s hard to keep our doors open.”

“This is pure politics, thwarting the will of the people,” King added.

Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Allen-Singh said her businesses members “are on the front line. They are almost all immigrants. Their dreams are becoming a nightmare… the attacks on their employees… theft, robbery – who is protecting them?”

“With these political tricks, the Attorney General could be pressured to change the description of the ballot measure to say it will weaken safety laws,” Californians for Safer Communities said. “The legislative package and the initiative can both be enacted and combined to provide a comprehensive solution to California’s crime epidemic.”

Except Democrats in the Legislature don’t want to eradicate the Fentanyl overdoses or serial theft and organized theft gangs, and we should know why.

As an added bonus, Wednesday Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) posted on X/Twitter:

“Today the entire California Republican congressional delegation sent a letter to Gavin Newsom expressing our strong support for the initiative to fix Prop. 47. We condemn the scheme afoot in Sacramento to deny Californians a fair vote on this vital public safety measure.”