California Gov. Gavin Newsom is under growing fire from local officials, residents, and lawmakers in both parties for refusing to fully fund Proposition 36, a tough-on-crime law overwhelmingly passed by voters last year.
At a Thursday press conference, Newsom touted his decision to deploy additional California Highway Patrol officers to major cities, brushing off President Donald Trump’s claim that California needs the National Guard to restore order.
But as the Democrat governor praised his surge in policing, critics blasted him for stonewalling funding for Prop 36.
The measure, approved by 68% of California voters in November, toughens penalties for repeat drug offenders, lengthens sentences for certain property crimes, and overturns parts of Newsom’s own Proposition 47, which downgraded theft under $950 to a misdemeanor.
Newsom has opposed the law’s full implementation, warning it represents “mass incarceration, not mass treatment.”
His office argues that funding it would strip money from schools, housing, and mental health programs.
“The Governor is committed to operationalizing Prop 36,” his office said in a statement, pointing to limited funding included in the state budget.
Still, Newsom insists counties must foot more of the bill themselves.
That stance has infuriated local leaders.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan