Proposition 36 Become Law

California’s Proposition 36 goes into effect today. The measure passed with 68 percent of the vote in November. It makes repeat offenses for crimes like shoplifting or smash-and-grab robberies a felony. It also increases penalties for drug dealers.
Prop 36 rolls back Proposition 47, which passed in 2014. It changed certain non-violent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and established a value of 950 dollars in stolen goods as the basis for charging an offender with a felony. Critics say this gave rise to flash mob robberies, with multiple people stealing smaller amounts of items while collectively grabbing thousands of dollars’ worth of goods.