Latest news with #Prop36
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Ending the cycle': Los Angeles DA touts success of new state law cracking down on ‘smash-and-grab' offenders
Like many major cities, Los Angeles is not immune to crime — but incidents of store theft have increased in recent years. Crosstown LA, citing LAPD data, says that in 2023, there were 11,945 reported cases of shoplifting in the city, compared to 6,585 the year before. There's been a notable uptick in 'smash-and-grab' robberies, where a criminal smashes a window, grabs items on display, and makes a run for it. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) But now, California lawmakers are cracking down on theft with a new set of guidelines outlined in Proposition 36. And so far, it seems to be having good results. Proposition 36, or Prop 36, enacts new laws for drug and theft offenses. It went into effect on Dec. 18, 2024, and states that theft-related crimes can be charged as a felony, a more serious offense with harsher consequences, or a misdemeanor, a more minor offense. One major change under Prop 36 is that prosecutors can combine the value of various thefts to arrive at a felony charge for criminals. Prior to Prop 36, theft in the amount of $950 or less allowed criminals to receive a minor penalty that, as the bill said, was basically the equivalent of a traffic ticket. That allowed thieves to effectively steal an unlimited amount of goods with minimal punishment as long as each individual theft did not exceed $950. Now that Prop 36 is in effect, the value of a string of thefts can be combined for a greater charge. To put it another way, a $500 theft and a $1,000 theft by the same person can be combined to exceed the $950 mark so the crime can be treated more seriously. This means serial criminals could face harsher consequences for their actions. The goal, of course, is not just to punish criminals, but to deter them from theft in the first place. As NBC4 Los Angeles reported, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman says Prop 36 is working. "Since Dec. 18, we have had over a thousand Proposition 36 arrests for thieves alone," he said. His hope is that the threat of harsher penalties will serve as a warning to potential criminals. "Our goal is not to fill our prisons with these thieves," Hochman said. "If anything, that will be the failure of our efforts. Our goal is to deter these criminals from committing these crimes in the first place, thus saving a whole lot of victims." Jawad Ursani owns the 7-Eleven in the 8500 block of West Olympic Boulevard and has been the victim of theft on multiple occasions. "Communities have been targeted repeatedly by same individuals coming back over and over knowing that there were no real consequences," Ursani told NBC4 reporters. "My store was targeted not once, but twice, by a smash-and-grab by about over 50 teenagers and a repeat shoplifter who is now detained and will be held accountable by this DA's office as we speak." Read more: This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) says that since Prop 36 went into effect, prosecutors have filed "thousands of new felony drug and theft charges." During the second half of February, prosecutors filed around 1,500 theft cases with felony charges, the PPIC says, citing data from the Judicial Council of California. Findings from Sicuro Data Analytics, meanwhile, tell a different story — during the first 90 days since Prop 36 went into effect, there were 3,500 theft cases filed. All told, the PPIC says that Prop 36 felony cases comprise 10% to 15% of the 15,000 or so felony cases filed statewide in a typical month. Hochman is pleased with the impact of Prop 36 on LA. In a mid-May statement, he said, 'Ending the cycle of catch-and-release that sent serial retail thieves back on the streets to reoffend is a top priority." LA businesses are also being supplied with decals warning criminals that those who steal will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Of course, this begs the question: Will more states implement harsher penalties for theft? The Council on Criminal Justice says that between 2019 and 2023, New York and LA had the biggest increases in shoplifting across major cities at 64% and 61%, respectively. On a broad level, the rate of shoplifting incidents across major cities fell between January of 2018 and June of 2023. But that doesn't mean it's not a problem. The National Retail Federation says that in 2023, there was a 93% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents compared to 2019. There was also a 90% increase in dollar loss from shoplifting in that same timeframe. Cracking down on theft is something lawmakers should therefore consider on a more national scale to protect business owners and consumers alike. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Politico
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
How to governor-proof an initiative
Presented by Our Sun. Our Power. WHAT BALLOT MANDATE? — Supporters of last year's two most popular statewide ballot initiatives found that spending tens of millions of dollars to qualify and pass their proposals wasn't enough to keep the measures' most high-profile critic, Gov. Gavin Newsom, from disregarding them in his latest budget proposal. Newsom's moves to undercut last year's Propositions 35 and 36 raise strategic, political and legal questions for organizations hoping to go to the ballot in 2026 or 2028. How do you convince funders to pour millions into a measure — and persuade voters to support it — if the governor can undo it on a whim come budget season? 'There may be a new approach taken on making sure that you're governor-proof on something, certainly if it's related to the budget,' said Rob Stutzman, a Sacramento-based consultant who worked for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and many interests at the ballot before and since. Prop 35's backers across the health care industry specifically drafted their initiative to prevent state leaders from sweeping billions of dollars into the general fund in tough financial years, and 68 percent of voters agreed with them. But Newsom, facing a large deficit, announced Wednesday he would do exactly that (just as he wants to repurpose millions in revenue generated by Prop 56, the tobacco tax increase passed in 2016). Also missing from Newsom's budget proposal was money for the drug treatment, probation, social workers and administrative costs experts say is required to properly implement Prop 36, the tough-on-crime initiative voters also overwhelmingly passed in November over the governor's opposition. 'It's like he's purposely wagging his fingers at the voters and saying, 'I told you so, and since I told you so, I'm not going to fund this thing, or I'm going to take money from it when you didn't want me to in the first place,' state Sen. Roger Niello told Playbook. 'I'm at a loss to understand why he's doing it.' Interest groups unhappy with their lot in a state budget typically follow two main ballot strategies for recourse. They can ask voters to establish a new source of revenue (like the Prop 56 tobacco tax, for example) or pass a statute that attempts to lock in a funding stream for a specific purpose (like Prop 35). But Newsom's budget casts doubt on how enforceable either of those will be once voters have passed a measure. Tom Hiltachk, a veteran lawyer who specializes in ballot-measure clients — including the proponents of last year's Prop 36 — said governors have long tried to shortchange initiatives by refusing to fund them. Initiative backers typically consider the scenario when drafting their proposals, he said. 'The actions of the governor to disregard the policy preferences of the electorate, as most recently evidenced by the 2024 election results, is unfortunately not a new concern for initiative proponents,' he said. Backers of a measure like Prop 36, which changed sentencing rules but did not include a direct mechanism to pay for expanded prisons or mental-health treatment beds, could opt to build funding into the proposal itself. That poses its own challenges: Suddenly you're asking voters not only to change policy but possibly raise their own taxes, too. Molly Weedn, an adviser to the Yes on 35 campaign, told Playbook that the coalition that passed Prop 35 is considering a range of legal and political options to ensure the initiative is properly implemented. Going forward, she said, campaigns will need to think inventively about how to keep governors' hands off the piles of money voters create via the ballot. 'The current climate, both with the budget and what's going on federally, gives the opportunity for organizations to be creative with how they pursue solutions,' Weedn said. 'We may be surprised what sort of creative outlets people come up with.' — With help from Rachel Bluth NEWS BREAK: Drake calls for Newsom to pardon fellow Canadian rapper Tory Lanez after prison stabbing … California officials react to Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis … San Jose fire captain charged with stealing drugs from station. Welcome to Ballot Measure Weekly, a special edition of Playbook PM focused on California's lively realm of ballot measure campaigns. Drop us a line at eschultheis@ and wmccarthy@ or find us on X — @emilyrs and @wrmccart. TOP OF THE TICKET A highly subjective ranking of the ballot measures — past and future, certain and possible — getting our attention this week. 1. Measure Z (Santa Cruz, 2024): Almost three weeks after the first challenge to a statewide ban on soda taxes took effect, the American Beverage Association has still not filed a widely expected lawsuit. The Santa Cruz city attorney is among those now speculating that the beverage industry fears a losing lawsuit may harm its position more than any courtroom victory would help. 2. Transit tax (Bay Area, 2026): Among the losers in last week's budget revision were Sen. Jesse Arreguín and Assemblymember Mark González, whose request for a $2 billion infusion for BART and MUNI didn't make Newsom's list of priorities. The lawmakers had proposed the money to maintain service levels while transit operators ask voters to back new taxes to fund the system on next year's ballot. 3. Local tax thresholds (2026): Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is hoping to ride shotgun on the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's drive to make it harder for local governments to raise taxes. The Republican lawmaker, who had introduced a similar amendment earlier this year, has begun raising money for his grassroots apparatus Reform California with promises to support a petition drive behind whichever version of the measure the business community chooses to support. 4. Measure B (Cathedral City, 2021): The California Fair Political Practices Commission slapped a $31,500 fine on the Palm Springs-area resort haven for using public funds to promote a 2021 ballot measure voters passed that places new restrictions on short-term vacation rentals, a warning sign to other city halls looking to change policy via the ballot. 5. City charter reform (Los Angeles, 2026): Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has named her picks to serve on the city's charter reform commission, as well as a new executive director to steer the effort. As POLITICO's Melanie Mason reported this morning, Bass's delay doing so has thus far slowed the commission's work. Now, with a quorum in place, the commission can get started — with the goal of putting its proposed changes before voters in November 2026. 6. Pay for performance (San Jose, 2025?): San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan's efforts to tie elected leadership's pay to performance may not need to go to the ballot, the Mercury News reports, based on a charter provision that allows city officials to voluntarily reduce their salaries. But the council members who would need to vote to do so are increasingly wary of an idea that could cut their paychecks by at least five percent. 7. Measures A & B (Huntington Beach, 2025): The campaign over control of the public library in this Orange County beach town is entering its final weeks, and the Yes side is out with its latest cozily bookish tactic — a rhyming Dr. Seussian mailer. The June 10 vote is being watched nationwide, as Emily reported in a story this weekend, inspiring librarians to consider the merits of fighting back against MAGA book bans via the ballot rather than through the courts. ON OTHER BALLOTS Voters in Louisiana may be asked to ban foreign contributions to ballot-measure campaigns after lawmakers advanced a proposed constitutional amendment on the topic … Signature-gatherers in Michigan will be working to qualify two dueling constitutional amendments requiring proof of citizenship to vote after a second proposal on the topic was cleared for circulation just a month after an initial proposal … Smart & Safe Florida, the group leading the push to legalize recreational marijuana via the Florida ballot, has signed onto a lawsuit against a recently enacted law it says would place 'draconian restrictions' on those looking to qualify future measures for the ballot … Lawmakers in Missouri passed legislation to overturn Proposition A, the ballot initiative voters approved in 2024 to implement paid sick leave … And an anti-tax group in Ohio moved a step closer to seeing its proposal to eliminate property taxes on a future ballot after the state's attorney general said its proposed title and summary were 'fair and truthful,' clearing the proposal for consideration by the Ohio Ballot Board. I'M JUST A BILL HOUSING BOND (AB 736): Assemblymember Buffy Wicks' proposal for a $10 billion affordable housing bond received Newsom's endorsement last week, a boost for the bill as it enters a crucial phase of the legislative process. 'We need to support a bond to address the issues of housing, yes, affordability, but also infrastructure,' the governor said during his presentation of his May revised budget proposal, calling the bond 'foundational' to the state's efforts to promote housing affordability. Newsom's comments were 'a shot in the arm' for the bond's chances of making it onto the 2026 ballot, said Ray Pearl, executive director of the California Housing Consortium, which represents developers, builders and public-sector interests and is backing the bond. 'Having him put his finger on the scale and say this is important is a signal — not only to advocates, but especially members of the Legislature — that this is going to be looked upon favorably should it get through the legislative process.' Pearl said the bond's backers hope to see it on Newsom's desk this fall, so that it can appear on the ballot in 2026. After passing through committee, AB 736 is set to be considered among dozens of other costly bills in the suspense file next week. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... PROP 24 (2020): California's landmark Privacy Rights Act enshrined an individual's right to control his or her personal data and created the nation's first privacy enforcement agency. But it's facing a serious stress test from Big Tech and Republicans in Washington as policymakers are forced to reread the four-year-old initiative in light of advances in artificial intelligence. The controversy hinges on three words buried near the back of the 34-page measure approved by 56 percent of voters: 'automated decisionmaking tools,' a technology that uses algorithms and often AI to assist or replace human decision-making in areas like health care, hiring, education and criminal justice. California's Privacy Protection Agency, the regulatory body created by Prop 24, argues that the initiative's language requires the agency to draft rules protecting the right to opt out of sharing personal information with ADMTs. Big Tech, business groups (led by the California Chamber of Commerce) and even Prop 24 architect and CPPA board member Alastair Mactaggart pressured the agency for months to cut AI regulations from the draft rules, contending the 2020 measure never specifically mentions AI. The agency's five-member board reluctantly pared back the draft rules earlier this month over objections from labor unions and consumer privacy advocates. But the Prop 24 debate is far from over, thanks to Congress. Republicans in Washington are considering a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations, including rules governing ADMTs. It's a longshot idea but one that's gaining steam with tech industry lobbyists and powerful Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. CPPA Executive Director Tom Kemp urged Congress to abandon the proposal in a letter sent last week, arguing it would 'strip away many crucial [privacy] protections' guaranteed in Prop 24. POSTCARD FROM ... … WESTWOOD: A year after a violent face-off between student protesters and police shut down campus, UCLA undergraduates last week tried their hand at a different California collegiate tradition of dissent: the ballot measure. The 33,040-person electorate faced three initiatives as part of annual student elections, all related to increasing or maintaining quarterly fees to fund various student programs and services. The university is one of many in California with such provisions for direct democracy, one of the few avenues offered for the student body to try to make demands of school leadership, rather than the other way around. For students, some not yet old enough to vote for president, the vote represents their first chance to take a spin on the direct-democracy merry-go-round. In prior elections, many have responded to that opportunity with a shrug, with turnout struggling to reach the 20-percent mark required for an initiative to pass. 'A lot of people don't know what's happening,' said Holly Hebden, a senior and the president of a campus organization called Good Clothes, Good People, which placed a student-fee initiative on the most recent ballot. 'They have other stuff going on.' Making matters more difficult for those trying to indoctrinate their peers into ballot-measure culture are the restrictions on campaigning that campuses impose on student organizations. According to Hebden, her group was allowed to hand out fliers in just one designated campus location and only during specific weeks and times. 'I want to have an impact on my campus and this is the most direct way I see to do it,' said Hebden. 'But it's been harder to reach the threshold.' Even winning at the ballot doesn't guarantee change. In 2018, Chico State students voted down fee increases on three separate occasions, only to have the administration proceed with the change anyways, according to CalMatters. Still, university ballot measures are not some middle-school class president exercise in play-politics. The issues that students vote on have real-life ramifications for student experiences. Hebden's organization, for example, provides free school and hygiene supplies to financially insecure students. As of Friday night, her initiative was passing with majority support and 28 percent turnout. 'Students haven't had this much control over this particular fee. A lot of this money goes to campus administration,' Hebden said. 'Now have direct, unilateral control over this fee and what it's utilized for.' THAT TIME VOTERS ... … GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL: Californians have seen ballot measures on a wide variety of questions related to cars and driving, including to: Impose a one-cent-per-gallon gas tax on top of the pre-existing two-cent license tax (1926, failed) … Require registration fees to be equal regardless of the type of fuel or engine used in a vehicle, and all revenue used for highway purposes (1936, failed) … Impose a 55-mile-per-hour speed limit on California highways (1976, did not qualify) … Repeal a state gas tax and exempt motor vehicle fuels from sales tax (1980, did not qualify) … Require all vehicles registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles be classified by color and specific model, and require any change of color to be reported within 10 days (1993, did not qualify) … Increase the gas tax by four percent to fund transportation programs and projects like light rail, commuter and intercity rail systems and bicycle projects (1994, failed) … Require the California DMV to make 12 decorative vehicle decals (one per month) available for public purchase for an annual fee of $240, which would go into an 'I Helped Save the Golden State' fund for education, social service, parks and recreation, and environmental protection programs (2004, did not qualify) … Allow buyers of used cars to return them to the dealer and cancel their purchase within three days and receive a full refund, limit dealer loan fees and require 'certified' used vehicles to be inspected by a qualified technician (2005, did not qualify) … And prohibit the sale of gas-only and diesel-only passenger vehicles and light trucks manufactured after 2020 (2020, did not qualify).
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘The people's voice was heard': GOP lawmaker slams Gov. Newsom over Prop 36 funding
(INSIDE CALIFORNIA POLITICS) — California State Senator Tony Strickland is slamming Governor Gavin Newsom for not funding Proposition 36 in his recent budget proposal. 'I think the most essential role of government is public safety. Prop 36, passed by 70% of the vote in California, in all 58 counties, including the most liberal counties in California, San Francisco and Marin, voted in the affirmative on Prop 36 to make crime illegal again. But this governor hasn't put the money in the implement the will of the people,' Strickland told Nikki Laurenzo on this week's edition of Inside California Politics. The Huntington Beach Republican has served in the state capitol since 2012. When asked about what has changed in his time as a lawmaker, Strickland noted there is not as much awareness in terms of subject matter on major issues. 'Its not easy, because we're dealing with 5,000 different bills, to be experts on all these different issues,' Strickland said. 'Elected leaders need to go out and in their community and hear from the citizens of their districts and people from around the state of California. And that's why I'm really in shock that this governor has not funded Prop 36. The people's voice was heard. They want to make crime illegal again in California, and now the governor is not funding that initiative. I am shocked.' Strickland also pushed back against Gov. Newsom's claim that the state's $12 billion deficit is due to President Donald Trump's tariff policies. He did, however, praise Newsom for allocating more funds toward water management and resources for firefighters. Nikki Laurenzo also sat down with democratic strategist Kevin Liao to discuss the party's weaknesses going into the 2026 elections. Inside California Politics airs this weekend during the following times: KTLA: Sunday, May 18 at 5:30 a.m. KRON: Saturday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. KSEE: Saturday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 18 at 8:30 a.m. KSWB: Sunday, May 18 at 5:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. KGET: Sunday, May 18 at 11:30 p.m. KTXL: Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 18 at 7:30 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
O.C. man uses brother's name to trick cops but he had warrant too
A man in Orange County is behind bars after trying to assume his brother's identity to evade detection, only to find his brother also had an arrest warrant, police said Sunday. The unidentified suspect attempted to trick officers during a field detention, the Irvine Police Department stated in a post on its Facebook page. It was unclear what prompted the detention, but police said the suspect's attempt to deceive officers quickly went south. 'The owner of this sullied spoon assumed his brother's identity during a field detention,' read a portion of the post, which also shared an image of drug paraphernalia found during the stop. 'To his dismay, his brother had an active arrest warrant!' Once police discovered the man's true identity, he was served his own three arrest warrants along with two new felony charges for identity theft and a Prop 36 enhancement, police said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 thieves get prison time under Prop 36 law change
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Three men who have repeatedly stolen from stores in Kern County were recently sentenced to prison in separate cases, each convicted of felonies under changes to the law brought by Prop 36, prosecutors said. 'Thanks to the law Kern County voters supported, repeat offenders are facing real consequences,' District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said in a release. 'They're being held in prison, where they'll serve significant time for their crimes.' Prop 36, which took effect in December, allows prosecutors to bring felony charges against suspects accused of petty theft who have at least two prior theft-related convictions. Previously, prosecutors were often limited to filing misdemeanor charges for the offense, with convictions resulting in at most a year in jail, according to the release. Prosecutors described crimes that resulted in convictions against three repeat offenders who have since been sentenced: On Jan. 2, Juventino Espinoza, who has 10 prior convictions for shoplifting and petty theft, stole items totaling $281.30 from the Target on Mall View Road. He entered an open plea — when a defendant admits to all charges in the hope the judge will give them less time than what they'd face if convicted at trial. Because of a prior strike conviction for assault with a deadly weapon, Espinoza, 45, was given a lengthier sentence on May 15 of two years and eight months in prison. He also was ordered to pay restitution. In December, Kristopher Devonte Howard, 38, stole a drink from the Go Mini Mart on Wilson Road, pushing and threatening to kill a store employee who approached him. He has six prior theft convictions. Howard pleaded no contest to petty theft with two or more priors and admitted to a prior strike conviction. He was sentenced May 8 to four years in prison. On Feb. 22, 2025, Adrian Ivan Samarripas was arrested in southwest Bakersfield after stealing a three-pack of beer from the Walgreens on White Lane. He pleaded no contest in March to petty theft with two or more priors, admitted to a prior strike and was immediately sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. Samarripas has four prior theft convictions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
