Kamala Harris Responds to Question About Prop 36 in California-Let’s Explore what is at Stake for Criminal Justice

Atomic Truth

11/04/2024

On Sunday, November 2nd, after a speaking engagement at a church service at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God and Christ in Detroit, Michigan, Kamala Harris speaks to reporters about how she voted on Proposition 36, a state ballot measure in California, also known as the “Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act”, where she is a registered voter in the San Francisco area, according to Click2Houston.

Before we get into Vice President Harris’ response, let’s explore this ballot measure.

Proposition 36, would make shoplifting a felony charge, for repeat offenders. As is it now, an individual could be charged with a misdemeanor for theft up to $950 for stolen goods and services. That $950 theft limit for felony prosecution, was raised in 2014 when voters in California passed Proposition 47, from the original felony theft amount of $400. Proponents of Prop 47, said that this increase accounts for inflation of goods and services. Kamala Harris was Attorney General of California in 2014 and George Gascón was the DA of San Francisco, who submitted official arguments for Proposition 47.

The effects of Proposition 47 are a subject of debate. According to the Hoover Institute in 2021, “Shoplifting is now De Facto Legal in California” and they also argue how it undermines the criminal justice system. The need for reforms to Prop 47 has been loud enough, to be included on the ballot, tomorrow November 5th, 2024 with the new measure, Prop 36, which includes potential fixes to ongoing issues.

Opponents of Proposition36(Democratic State leaders and social justice groups), say “the proposal would disproportionately imprison poor people and those with substance abuse issues, rather than target ring leaders, who hire large groups of people to steal goods for them to sell online”, According to an Associated Press news story, authored by Darlene Superville and Aamer Madnami, on 11/4/2024, regarding Kamala Harris and her response to how she voted on Proposition 36.

Some arguments in favor of Proposition 36, include a more efficient use of prosecutorial resources in enforcing current RICO laws already in place in California that allow for felony prosecutions of organized retail theft rings, even if the theft is less than the threshold of $950. This allows prosecutors to target criminal organizations as a whole, rather than individual participants, according to an AP news story. District Attorneys with state management from the Attorney General of California, will ultimately decide where to focus their investigations and efforts to fight retail theft to decrease crime. Be sure to know and understand where your candidates fall on these issues, before casting your vote. It makes no difference to have laws, if they are not going to allocate resources, such as task teams and specialized retail theft investigations and enforcement efforts.

In 2023, the California Retailer’s Association urged the state legislature to allow felony prosecution of repeat offenders, citing the need to target retail theft rings. Critics have argued the District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office have not aggressively prosecuted organized retail theft rings, under currently California RICO laws, which has been contributing to the city’s organized crime problem, according to an ABC 7 news article.

Proposition 36 would also increase penalties for some drug charges and give judges authority to order individuals convicted of multiple drug charges to get treatment. There has been an ongoing issue involving accidental drug overdoses, not only in California, but all over the country. As a focus on how Proposition 36 may affect this issue, let’s take a look at accidental overdoses deaths in San Francisco, CA.

Fentanyl contributed to 80% of the total accidental overdose deaths in 2023, which was a record breaking high for San Francisco, according to CBS News.

So the question is how to handle the interrelated issues of drug possession, abuse and shoplifting. The proposed solutions could not be more different. Sometimes individuals dealing with substance abuse issues need to hit what they call a ‘rock bottom’ to initiate change in that individual’s life. This is a principle of popular support groups such as, AA, Alcoholics Anonymous or NA, Narcotics Anonymous. A rock bottom is different in every individual with a substance abuse issue’s life. Sometimes the rock bottom is facing a legal issue. Because drug use has cross behaviors that deal with other legal issues, such as shop lifting, a kind and compassionate legal system can offer a rock bottom in Proposition 36 via judge ordered treatment for repeat offenders, that just might save someone’s life. Leaving them to die in the streets is not kind, in my view. At the same time, Proposition 36, also helps alleviate business issues and loss prevention that have caused many to actually flee the state or close locations in larger chain retail stores.

Last month on October 16th, Kamala Harris was asked by a reporter at a campaign stop in Detroit, Michigan, right before boarding Air Force 2, how she would vote on Prop 36. She responded, “I’ve not voted yet and I’ve actually not read it yet. But I’ll let you know.” According to a White House Statement.

After having explored some of the history involved with Proposition 36 and how Proposition 47 has been the subject of many debates, knowing how VP Kamala Harris feels about Proposition 36, would give voters a better idea of how she would handle criminal justice from the federal level, in the White House, as President of the United States. But unfortunately, she has declined to go on record and let voters know. “I am not going to talk about the vote on that. Because honestly it’s the Sunday before the election and I don’t intend to create an endorsement one way or another around it.” - Kamala Harris, as reported by Associated Press.

As many other policy issues regarding presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, we are left with limited information. As Americans, the best thing we can ask ourselves is; Is your life better or worse than it was 4 years ago? Tomorrow, November 5th, 2024, we will find out how America feels about that question.