Gavin Newsom Abandons His Own Crime Plan Days After Introducing It

California Governor Gavin Newsom abandoned his plan to deal with crime just days after announcing it.

Newsom and state legislative leaders on Monday announced plans to pass a ballot measure aimed at cracking down on property crime and fentanyl. The proposal was intended as an alternative to a separate ballot measure, backed by district attorneys in the state, that would repeal parts of Proposition 47, a policy passed by California voters in 2014 that made some non-violent property crimes misdemeanors, rather than felonies.

Some Democrats have raised concerns that the ballot measure would be “draconian,” prompting them to work on the Newsom-supported plan. It has received support from Republicans and some retail stores, who have raised concerns about crime.

However, on Tuesday, Newsom said that lawmakers “unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measure’s success and we will be withdrawing it from consideration” in a statement provided to Newsweek.

“Working with stakeholders and the Legislature, we chose to introduce an alternative measure for Californians to consider that represented a balanced and comprehensive strategy that put public safety first without reverting to outdated and ineffective policies of decades past,” Newsom said in the statement.

His plan included “stiff new penalties for repeat offenders, stricter measures to take down fentanyl dealers, and expanded access to drug treatment programs in our communities,” he wrote.

Newsom also criticized the ballot measure supported by district attorneys, arguing it would “revive policies from the era of mass incarceration and the failed War on Drugs.”

The Sacramento Bee reported that the DA-backed ballot measure, if passed, would be “more punitive” than the proposal introduced by Newsom.

For instance, with regard to fentanyl, the DA measure “lowers the felony weight threshold for substances containing fentanyl and adds enhancements for larger quantities,” according to the newspaper.

Meanwhile, the Newsom-supported measure would have increased penalties for drug dealers who knowingly provide fentanyl to customers unaware that the substance they purchased contains the drug, which contributed to tens of thousands of deaths in 2022, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

The Newsom-backed measure would have included some “guardrails” on changes to drug and theft penalties, according to the newspaper.

In announcing the ballot measure on Monday, California Senate President pro-Tempore Mike McGuire said, “These are a methodical set of measures that will crack down on retail theft and hold offenders accountable for hardcore drug crimes, without enacting the draconian policies of the ’80s and ’90s that devastated communities of color and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.”

The Bee described the reversal as “stunning,” while The Los Angeles Times described it as “abrupt.”

Three Democratic lawmakers told The Times that Newsom’s measure lacked support from enough Democrats to pass the legislature. Assemblymember Lori Wilson, who leads the Black caucus, opposed it due to concerns that it could disproportionately impact Black Californians, according to the newspaper.

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