Billed as the “Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act” on the November 2024 ballot, Proposition 36 won easily with the support of more than two-thirds of California voters.

The initiative — backed by large retailers and law enforcement — turned certain drug and theft crimes from misdemeanors to felonies, meaning steeper consequences for repeat offenders, but also the option of treatment for people with long-term drug addictions. But it came with no dedicated funding source, leaving the state and counties to absorb the costs.

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In the lead-up to the election, Gov. Gavin Newsom argued that locking up more people would siphon money from community treatment programs. He refused to include funding for Proposition 36 in this year’s budget, but after pressure from

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