California lawmakers blame media for perception that crime is on the rise

(The Center Square) – At a rally against Proposition 36, a bill to increase penalties for repeat theft and serious drug offenses, California lawmakers claimed the media is to blame for the growing perception that crime is increasing in their state.

In a video from KCRA, top California lawmakers gathered outside the Capitol for a “No on 36” rally. According to a new Los Angeles Times poll, 56% of voters support Prop. 36 and only 23% oppose enacting an anti-crime law. Prop. 36 would amend Prop. 47, a 2014 law that made many crimes felonies, by allowing serial thieves to be charged as a felony. It would also create a “treatment-required” felony class, allowing individuals to seek treatment for mental health or behavioral health issues and receive housing instead of going to jail.

Democratic lawmakers who opposed Bill 36 warned that it would lead to a significant increase in the prison population, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged and minority groups, and that the media was responsible for creating a perception that was creating an anti-crime sentiment among voters.

“The media has frankly helped by showing every single burglary,” said Rep. Ash Kalra, Democrat of San Jose. “They don't show the wage theft and how people are being robbed in droves, do they?”

“Because of individual MAGA members, MAGA police, MAGA press and MAGA politicians, we want to go back to the time when they could lock up as many black and brown people as possible,” said Rep. Reggie-Jones Sawyer (D-Los Angeles).

Proposition 36 has caused a split in the Democratic Party, with state-level officials often opposing the measure, while some high-ranking Democratic politicians at the local level, such as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, support the measure.

“You can't end the era of camps without ushering in an era of mass treatment. Proposition 36 gives us that opportunity,” Mahan said on X.

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“Prop. 47 needs to be reformed because we've gone from mass incarceration to a massive failure of accountability,” Mahan continued on X. “And what we really need is mass incarceration.”

The number of homeless people in California was recently just over 180,000. While crime has declined in much of California, some cities have seen a sharp increase in a very short period of time. In Oakland, for example, the number of violent crimes has more than doubled compared to the previous year, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to deploy additional prosecutors from the California National Guard to put more criminals behind bars more quickly.