A Leftist Experiment Failed Badly in California
In a dramatic rebuke of leftist policies, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36 in the 2024 election, marking a sharp pivot from the state’s recent left-leaning criminal justice reforms.
The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, which passed with more than 70% of the vote, rolls back key provisions of 2014’s Proposition 47 and reinstates tougher penalties for thefts under $950 and certain drug-related offenses.
This shift highlights widespread dissatisfaction with policies championed by radicals like Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who was also voted out of office in the same election.
Gascón, a staunch advocate for soft-on-crime policies, was backed by billionaire George Soros, faced backlash for what many Californians saw as a failed experiment in criminal justice reform.
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Prop 36 allows some crimes to once again be charged as felonies rather than misdemeanors, a move many view as necessary to restore accountability and deter criminal behavior. Leftist critics, however, condemned the law as racist.
The ACLU of Northern California described it as "part of a broader conservative strategy in California and across the nation to roll back criminal justice reforms aimed at interrupting the cycle of mass incarceration of black and brown people," which is a total laugh.
"Being safe is not a Republican or a Democrat issue. Being safe is a human issue," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Fox News Digital. "Being safe is an American issue. We have a lot of freedoms in this country. We're the greatest country in the world. And with that comes a big responsibility of keeping the people that are going to victimize us out of our free society."
He added, “Seventy percent of people in the state who voted for Prop 36 want people who commit crimes to be held accountable.”
The so-called reforms under Prop 47 emboldened criminals, fueling California’s escalating crises of homelessness, drug addiction, and retail theft. Since its passage, crime has spiraled out of control, with offenders exploiting the law’s leniency, confident there would be little to no consequences for their actions. The 2024 election delivered a resounding course correction, highlighting the immense frustration among business owners and citizens with progressive policies that have failed to confront the harsh realities of rising crime and collapsing public safety.
With the rejection of George Gascón and the overwhelming approval of Prop 36, Californians have sent a clear message: they want accountability and practical solutions, not ideological experiments.
As Bianco bluntly put it, “Being safe is an American issue.”
Radical leftists don’t get this, and it will be their downfall.