The Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday killed AB 1599, introduced by Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, that could have led the way to the repeal of Proposition 47, which recategorized some nonviolent offenses – such as drug and property thefts – to misdemeanors rather than felonies.
Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, of Yuba City, joined state legislators, local officials, members of law enforcement, and public safety advocates in claiming Proposition 47, which passed in 2014, has emboldened thieves, including repeat offenders, by slashing sentences for a number of property crimes.
“If we want to do something about the crime wave in our state, we must reform the laws that have given thieves a green light to steal,” said Gallagher, in a news release.
Preliminary data show property crime rose nearly 7 percent in 2021, and a number of stores have closed or cut their hours due to out-of-control theft, Gallagher said.
A recent survey by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that 78 percent of voters believe crime has risen across California in the last year, and the majority rate Governor Newsom’s performance on crime either “poor” or “very poor.”
That same study found that by a two-to-one margin, voters support restoring the stricter penalties for theft that were in place before Proposition. 47.
The Assembly Public Safety Committee is made up of five Assembly Democrats and two Republicans, with one Democratic vacancy.
The Republican-backed proposal to repeal Proposition 47 failed after about an hour of debate and testimony, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Despite state Democrats reporting that property crime decreased in California since the passage of Proposition 47, Gov. Gavin Newsom, in his 2022 budget, included $255 million in grants for local law enforcement over the next three years to bolster law enforcement, aid prosecutors, increase police presence at retail locations, and establish a permanent smash-and-grab enforcement team that will be operated by the CHP. ■