California voters sent a clear message this year when they overwhelmingly voted to pass a tough-on-crime ballot initiative that would impose stricter penalties for retail theft and crimes involving the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Proposition 36 undid parts of a landmark 2014 law that downgraded several non-violent felonies to misdemeanors. Proponents considered Proposition 47, the original law, as a breakthrough in criminal justice reform, while others viewed it as a catalyst for an increase in property crime, drug abuse, and homelessness.
Gov. Gavin Newsom walks down the aisle at the State Capitol during a meeting of the new legislative session on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in Sacramento, California. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP, Pool)
But, passing Proposition 36 wasn’t the only step Californians took this year to
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