California lawmakers largely agreed on Monday to support a set of bills aimed at stopping the theft and resale of merchandise from stores across the state. These bills will now be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom for approval.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Democrat from the Salinas area, said, “This is a balanced package of bills that works well for all parts of California.”
The passage of these 10 bills follows Democrats’ unsuccessful attempt to block a measure from appearing on the November ballot. That measure, Proposition 36, seeks to increase penalties for theft and drug crimes. If passed, it would allow individuals with previous convictions for shoplifting, burglary, and carjacking to be charged with a felony for committing similar crimes again. Proposition 36 would reverse some changes made by voters a decade ago.
In 2014, voters passed Proposition 47, which reduced certain theft and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors to save the state money. However, it has faced significant criticism since then. Assemblyman Juan Alanis, a Republican from the Modesto area, acknowledged the good intentions behind Prop. 47 but noted that it didn’t work as expected.
The debate over how to handle retail theft comes as incidents of shoplifting and business burglaries have sharply increased, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report from the Public Policy Institute of California found that shoplifting incidents surged by 39% last year, reaching the highest levels since 2000, with Sacramento County experiencing a significant rise.
Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat from West Hollywood, emphasized the importance of reforms that target retail crime without undoing successful criminal justice reforms. He introduced one of the bills and led a legislative committee on retail theft.
The bills passed on Monday address several issues. One bill would require online marketplaces to have a policy against selling stolen items and to notify law enforcement if they suspect someone is selling stolen goods. Another bill would extend the life of a regional property crimes task force to identify high-theft areas. A third bill would impose harsher penalties on repeat offenders who steal from retail stores.
Democratic leaders in the Legislature acknowledged the challenges in getting these bills passed but believe the final package is more effective at combating retail theft than Proposition 36.
Earlier efforts to include clauses in retail theft bills that would repeal them if Prop. 36 passed led to tensions between Republicans and Democrats, ultimately failing. Governor Newsom was also involved, initially pushing for a measure to compete with Prop. 36 on the November ballot, but he later abandoned that plan to focus on President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, said that if the governor signs the bills, the association will reconsider its support for Prop. 36.
Despite the approval of these bills, some Democrats continue to support the ballot measure. Senator Josh Newman from Fullerton, who authored one of the bills, called the package a good complement to Prop. 36. Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, a supporter of the November measure, described the bills as “a good first baby step.” Republican Senator Brian Dahle criticized the Democrats’ recent actions as “pure politics.”