Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act to be added to November ballot
After volunteers throughout the state collected more than 900,000 signatures for the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction ballot initiative, the act was approved for California voters' November ballot.
In California, 546,651 valid signatures are required for an act to be added to the ballot. For the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, 652,100 valid signatures qualified. In Kern County, 27,891 signatures were collected, according to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer helped collect signatures in Kern County at various events in the last few months. She said the act would effectively reverse the effects of Proposition 47, called the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act and passed in 2014.
Proposition 47 reduced certain theft and drug-related offenses to misdemeanors in an effort to focus on violent crimes, according to the California Courts website. Zimmer said the goal of the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act is to strengthen punishment for retail theft offenders and to reinstate mandatory treatment for those addicted to hard drugs.
“We are really trying to prioritize, if possible, treatment over incarceration but in order to do that, we have to have the threat of incarceration looming,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer previously said drug addiction often leads to stealing which often leads to homelessness. She said the act has strong bipartisan support.
“It’s just people that want to make California a better place. They just don’t like what’s happening with the homeless, it’s just so sad the quality of life for people who are addicted. It’s cruel — it’s cruel to allow it,” Zimmer said.
Despite being “super optimistic” about the act passing, Zimmer said there are still some obstacles ahead. Zimmer said “poison pill” amendments being considered by the legislature may impact the effectiveness of the ballot initiative. She called it a “deceptive tactic” to confuse voters.
Zimmer said there are several Senate bills under consideration that are related to retail theft, and while she said there is no issue with the bills, the bills do not effectively reverse Proposition 47.
“These other bills are fine. They show support from the legislature but they don’t do anything,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer said the next step is for the act to be assigned a proposition number. If Californians pass it, its provisions go into effect the next day, Zimmer said.
