(TheRedWire.com) – California Democrats decided not to vote on their anti-crime bill that would combat a GOP-backed one.
Despite California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announcing his ballot measure as a “critical step” to address the state’s battle against property crime and fentanyl use on Monday, by Wednesday, Democrats had abandoned the anti-crime measure.
On Tuesday, Democrats removed the measure from the state legislators’ agenda, which they would have to vote on by Wednesday if they wanted it to appear on the ballot in November.
Newsom touted the measure as a moderate solution to a GOP-backed reform proposal that would appear on Election Day ballots. The GOP-backed proposal would repeal parts of Proposition 47, a landmark bill turning many felonies into misdemeanors in California, and has received the support of big-box retailers and state prosecutors.
However, Newsom’s proposal was considered a hasty response to the GOP effort, with moderate and progressive Democrats in the state legislature wary of its passage.
State Legislature leaders were also concerned about optics, considering they had previously promised voters they wouldn’t make reforms to Prop 47, and therefore proposed alternative anti-crime bills.
To appear on Election Day ballots, the measure should have passed and been signed by midnight on July 3.
However, Democratic state legislators and Newsom’s absence hindered that.
In a statement about the decision to pull the proposal, Newsom acknowledged Democrats couldn’t “meet the ballot deadline,” but thanked “Legislature and countless stakeholders” who’ve worked on the reform.
Newsom also blamed the measure’s failure on the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA). Besides advocating against Prop 47 for years, the CDAA has supported the GOP’s anti-crime reform measure, celebrating the withdrawal of the Democrat’s countermeasure on Wednesday.
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