The retail theft chilling effect

Your afternoon must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Mar 26, 2024 View in browser   By Sarah Grace Taylor HAPPENING IN SF TONIGHT: Join us in San Francisco this evening for a special live conversation with Anthony York, one of Gov. Gavin Newsom's closest advisers. We'll discuss the razor-thin outcome of Proposition 1, the governor's signature mental-health initiative. York will speak with POLITICO health-care reporter Rachel Bluth and morning Playbook co-author Dustin Gardiner. Don’t miss an evening of hot takes and libations at Manny’s in the Mission, 3092 16th St. Register here; the event starts at 6 p.m. Grab your ticket while they last! STALLING OUT: State Sen. Steve Bradford says a shift in California away from George Floyd-era policing restrictions toward crackdowns on retail theft and opioid abuse has had a chilling effect on criminal justice policies writ large. “During this heightened retail theft era that we find ourselves in, people don't want to think that they're giving in to the criminals,” Bradford told Playbook. The Los Angeles County Democrat says the shift is stymieing progressive policies, including those that have no ostensible link to retail theft, like his SB50, which would limit when police can make traffic stops to avoid pretextual pullovers for infractions like headlights or other non-moving violations. Bradford is continuing to push the bill even after his Democratic colleagues showed little interest in supporting it last year, noting that, if anything, his bill would free more police to respond to crimes like retail theft. It’s yet to go to the floor for a vote. The lukewarm response, Bradford says, is a symptom of people giving up on changes to the law enforcement system after outrage subsides. “It started changing as soon as people forgot about George Floyd. And it's unfortunate that another tragedy such as that will happen before people put this back at the forefront,” Bradford said. Sen. Steve Bradford | Pool photo by Irfan Khan New bills in the Legislature this year also include threats to existing policies like Prop 47 — the 2014 ballot initiative that reduced penalties for drug and property crimes — forcing backers of the changes to operate on two fronts . “Advocates who have been working toward, and winning, criminal legal reforms are playing offense and defense this year,” said Emily Harris, human rights co-director of programs at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. “We cannot and will not allow California to return to failed approaches to public safety, which is why you’ll find a broad coalition of organizations opposing ineffective and extreme sentencing, the racist war on drugs and any repeal of the voter-mandated Prop 47.” Threats to the progressive reform movement include a well-funded and likely-to-qualify ballot initiative that would amend Prop 47 to enhance property and drug crime penalties. The measure is championed by prosecutors and has drawn cash infusions from major corporations, most recently 7-11 and Home Depot. While Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have said they don’t want to return Prop 47 to voters, the prosecutor-retailers alliance is on track to do so. Voters who are tired of buying shampoo from behind lock and key may be inclined to beef up California's criminal penalties beyond what the Legislature is willing to embrace. IT’S TUESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to sgtaylor@politico.com or send a shout on X. DMs are open.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY MISS INDEPENDENT: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to Oakland today to name tech attorney Nicole Shanahan his pick for vice president. An independent presidential campaign rally was a little incongruous in a Democratic stronghold where then-Sen. Kamala Harris declared her presidential run in 2019. At today’s event, a small contingent of Democratic protesters rallied across the street bearing “Kennedy for Measles” stickers as a DNC-funded panel truck circled the event with a reminder that a Kennedy donor had also backed former President Donald Trump. But Kennedy and Shanahan said they were determined to break up a tired two-party system — or the “uniparty,” as Kennedy called it. “I am leaving the Democratic Party,” Shanahan said to cheers in a speech that emphasized her concerns about a “chronic disease epidemic” fueled by agricultural chemicals, “electro-magnetic pollution” and “pharmaceutical products.” Since jumping ship on Democrats in October, Kennedy has considered a broad swath of running mates including NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and ex-Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. He landed on Shanahan, a Roseville native who has never run for office but has donated $4.5 million to super PACs supporting Kennedy’s run after donating to President Joe Biden in 2020. Kennedy’s campaign is working to get him on the November ballot in California by registering enough voters with the We The People party. Shanahan vowed to “spend the next seven months of my life getting him on each and every ballot in this country.” Read more about the pick from POLITICO’s Brittany Gibson. — Jeremy B. White Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. right, waves on stage with Nicole Shanahan, after announcing her as his running mate, during a campaign event today in Oakland, California. Eric Risberg | AP ON THE BEATS MEDICATION ON TRIAL: The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today challenging federal approval of mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion. Newsom called the case an attempt at a “backdoor abortion ban” fueled by conservatives. “Republicans want a national abortion ban. Full stop,” he said in a statement. “This should scare the hell out of everyone. These extremists will continue working to roll back rights, and we cannot waver in our work to stop them.” The case challenges the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate and approve drugs, though it looks like the justices will take a narrower approach. California has been preparing for this case for months. In April, Newsom announced that the state had purchased 250,000 pills of misoprostol, the other medication used in abortion, in case mifepristone became unavailable, but, as the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the state has already distributed its stockpile. — Rachel Bluth   In celebration of Earth Month, the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability and the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, in collaboration with POLITICO, host “Climate Forward 2024: Climate at the Crossroads” on April 4, 2024 at USC. Top experts from politics, government, media, and academia will discuss climate change issues with a focus on finding practical policy and business solutions as well identifying ways to remove political obstacles to implementing those changes. Register to attend in person or virtually.     READY FOR RELIEF: California Sen. Alex Padilla is looking to keep the pressure on Biden over immigration. Today Padilla helped lead a letter to Biden urging the president to take executive action to provide relief for undocumented immigrants. Padilla, who has been at his most outspoken when discussing the issue, outlined recommendations he and the others argue would streamline immigration relief for undocumented people and DACA holders in the U.S. The letter comes as Biden considers executive action for the border after House Republicans — at the urging of former President Trump — refused to advance a bipartisan border agreement supported by Biden. Specifically, the letter recommends that the Department of Homeland Security protect and unify American families, and calls for executive action to permit spouses of Americans to work while their green card cases are pending. — Christopher Cadelago WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY SETTLING UP: Republican Senate candidate and former baseball star Steve Garvey said Monday that he would try to resolve his $350,000 tax debt by the end of the year. (Sacramento Bee) TRUMP TRADES UP: The value of Trump’s Truth Social surged to nearly $8 billion today in its first day of public trading. (The New York Times)   Follow us on Twitter POLITICO California @politicoca   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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