Survey: Californians comment on crime, rent control and minimum wage

A majority of likely voters in California support tougher penalties for crimes involving theft and fentanyl, according to a new poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and The Times.

The results of the poll released on Friday showed that 56% of Californians Proposal 36, an initiative on the ballot in November that would impose tougher penalties for repeat theft and crimes related to the deadly drug fentanyl.

The proposal has been at the center of a battle in the state Capitol this year, as Republicans and law enforcement officials demanded the reversal of Democrats' reform policies that downgraded some crimes to misdemeanors, which they blame for a rise organized shoplifting And “Burglary and robbery”.

The survey also examines how voters feel about initiatives that address the high Cost of living. According to the poll, a majority of likely voters support a measure to raise the federal minimum wage to $18 an hour. However, respondents were divided on a measure that would encourage local governments to expand rent control; they still tended to vote yes.

The broad support for the tough crime-fighting Bill 36 comes as Governor Gavin Newsom and state Democrats seek to reconcile Californians' frustration over crime with the criminal justice reform goals that voters once supported.

The aim of the initiative is to restructure parts Proposal 47a measure passed by voters a decade ago that downgraded some felony penalties in an effort to reduce the state's prison population and give nonviolent offenders a better chance at rehabilitation and freedom.

Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, a nonpartisan survey of California public opinion, cited the “high visibility” of shoplifting – caught on camera or witnessed by voters in their communities – as a possible reason why more than twice as many voters said they would support Proposition 36 than those who did not.

“What voters are seeing is outrageous and they are associating it with the approval of Proposition 47,” DiCamillo said.

Becky Warren, a spokeswoman for the Yes on Proposition 36 campaign, said the poll “confirms that Californians want real solutions to the homeless and drug crises” and that the measure will ensure “repeat offenders are held accountable and face consequences.”

While supporters of the GOP-backed measure – received the support of some Democrats, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed – see it as a solution to some crime, opponents say it will lead to a costly increase in the state's prison population.

Newsom and the Democrats tried a competing proposal this summer, which would have addressed crimes such as shoplifting with a less punitive approach than Proposal 36 pushed by the Attorney General. However, this measure was abruptly abandoned by the governor last month amid chaotic negotiations at the Capitol.

Anthony York, a former Newsom spokesman who now serves as spokesman for the No on Proposition 36 campaign, said he was confident voters would change their minds as Election Day approaches and they better understand the nuances of the initiative.

“It's really about restarting the war on drugs, re-criminalizing drug possession, and wasting billions of dollars on prisons and jails that we can't afford,” York said. “Quality of life is understandably important. People want and have a right to feel safe in their own communities. But they also don't want bad policies that ruin lives and set us back.”

Likely voters also support Proposal 32 to raise the minimum wage in California from the current $16 to $18 per hour. According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents would vote “yes,” 34 percent would vote “no.” The rest of the respondents are undecided.

The measure is supported by Joe Sanberg, a wealthy investor and anti-poverty activist from Los Angeles, and comes at a time when unions have fought for wage increases for individual industries, $25 per hour for healthcare workers and $20 per hour for fast food employees.

Several cities, including West Hollywood and Berkeley, are already one step ahead of the state minimum wage, paying more than $18 an hour. Supporters of the measure are calling for wages to become more uniform across the state. Business groups oppose the measure, fearing it could bankrupt companies that are already struggling financially.

To Sentence 33, Forty percent of likely voters said they would support the initiative, a measure that could expand rent control, while 34 percent oppose it. The measure would give local governments in California more power to regulate rent and repeal a law that prohibits municipalities from capping prices on certain properties.

The measure is being promoted by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that has supported similar rent control initiatives in the past. It faces opposition from the real estate industry, which warns the measure could lead to developers building less – a problem that could exacerbate California's housing crisis.

Ten measures total will be on the ballot in November. DiCamillo said that in a presidential election with a lot at stake, political excitement could trickle down and focus attention on proposals that could significantly change California politics.

“I expect a high turnout, and that usually benefits the issues that are lower on the ballot,” he said.

Times writers Anabel Sosa and Andrew Khouri contributed to this report.