The political committee behind Proposition 36, which touted support from top local Democratic leaders for the anti-crime measure, donated $1 million to the California Republican Party in recent weeks.
The donation not only indicates Proposition 36 supporters’ confidence in the measure passed in the Nov. 5 election, but it also shows a partisan allegiance that appears to defy efforts to portray the campaign as bipartisan.
The California GOP endorsed Proposition 36 and, according to state campaign finance reports, spent more than $1 million on the measure. The California Democratic Party, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders in the California Legislature, oppose the proposal.
“It is surprising and perhaps unprecedented to see a campaign distribute some of its funds before all the votes are cast,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego. “I think this is a supreme sign of confidence from the campaign and that they are on track to victory.”
A solid majority of likely California voters support Proposition 36, the November ballot measure that would impose tougher penalties for retail theft and crimes involving fentanyl, according to a recent poll from the Institute for Government Studies. UC Berkeley co-sponsored by the Times.
“This initiative has had great bipartisan support,” Kousser added. “You have local support from Democratic mayors. The fact that the campaign is giving money directly to the party could therefore raise eyebrows.”
The main organization supporting Proposition 36, called Californians for Safer Communities, made two payments of $500,000 each, on Sept. 20 and Oct. 1, to the California Republican Party, according to state campaign finance records.
The committee had raised more than $13.3 million as of Oct. 11, according to campaign finance reports filed with the secretary of state. Opposition campaigns reported raising $5.9 million as of the same date, according to the most recent reports.
The campaign for the ballot initiative is backed by a group of local prosecutors, many of whom are politically conservative, and funded largely by Walmart and other major retailers.
Proposition 36 was endorsed by hundreds of local elected officials and a handful of Democratic mayors of major cities, including San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, who hailed it as a bipartisan effort. But opponents of the measure, including criminal justice reformers, progressives and Newsom, have called it a pretext for what is effectively a Republican-led effort to return California to California’s draconian, tough-on-crime policies. pass.
Supported by California’s leading law enforcement organizations, Proposition 36 would impose tougher penalties for drug possession and retail theft and make certain crimes involving fentanyl and repeat shoplifting crimes into felonies which are currently crimes.
Becky Warren, a spokeswoman for the Yes for 36 campaign, said the donations were part of an outreach effort to voters across all political parties.
“Our voter contact plan allocates resources to inform Democrats, Republicans and independent voters about Proposition 36 in proportion to their representation in the electorate,” Warren told the Times.
Contributions to the state GOP were the only donations made by the committee, however, according to state records.
Ellie Hockenbury, a spokeswoman for the California Republican Party, told the Times the money would be used for voter education.
“The California Republican Party has a nearly two-thirds winning record for ballot initiatives we have taken a position on since 2019, and voter education is one reason why,” Hockenbury said in a statement to the Times. “On November 5, voters will reject Gavin Newsom and support Proposition 36 to make California a safer state in which to live, work and raise a family.”
The $1 million the California GOP spent to support Proposition 36 was primarily for campaign mailers and communications with party members, state records show. A GOP spokesperson confirmed the money was spent in advocacy and in coordination with the Yes on 36 campaign and the state Republican Party.
Marva Diaz, political strategist and publisher of the California Target Book, a comprehensive political database, said ballot initiatives have benefited both the Republican and Democratic parties in previous election cycles.
Newsom and other leading Democrats in California have repeatedly urged voters to reject Proposition 36, which they say would lead to disproportionate incarceration of Blacks and Latinos.
Democrats who spoke in favor of Proposition 36, however, said the initiative would help provide mass treatment for individuals who abuse drugs and repeatedly commit theft.
“There is no room for partisanship when it comes to tackling California’s trio of public safety outbreaks,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who helped form a separate fundraising committee supporting Proposition 36. “We can all unite around common-sense solutions to combat retail theft, homelessness and drug overdose deaths,” he said .
If passed, Proposition 36 would dismantle parts of Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure that was overwhelmingly approved by Californians.
Proposition 47 aimed to reduce the number of people serving prison sentences for nonviolent robbery and drug crimes, recognizing that these practices cost the state millions of dollars each year.
Proposition 36 seeks to reclassify certain misdemeanors as felonies for these offenses. It would also provide an opportunity for eligible Californians who regularly commit drug-related crimes to receive drug treatment, although questions have been raised about where counties will receive funding for treatment.
Legislative analysts say the change could ultimately lead to a significant increase in state spending while also contributing to the increase in the prison population.
