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Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer sided with the majority on the substitute motion, saying she would await the CAO’s results before making a decision. However, during the supervisors' meeting on Tuesday, Lawson-Remer stated, “We don’t need Prop 36.”
San Diego County Board of Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer traded barbs on social media after the board voted to examine the fiscal impacts of a criminal reform proposition before advancing it to the November statewide ballot.
The board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to direct the chief administrative officer (CAO) to analyze how Proposition 36, also known as the ``Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act,'' might impact county homeless services funding and other programs.
Lawson-Remer, the county’s District 3 supervisor, sided with the majority on the substitute motion, saying she would await the CAO’s results before making a decision. However, during the supervisors' meeting on Tuesday, Lawson-Remer stated, “We don’t need Prop 36.”
Almost immediately after the divided vote, Faulconer slammed the supervisor for opposing what he called “the most important criminal reform measure that's on the ballot in California.”
“It just shows how out of touch she truly is with what's going on in our communities and on the streets, all of the smash-and-grabs that are happening with no consequences for actions,” Faulconer, who is running to replace Lawson-Remer in the general election, said in a video posted to his X account. “Prop 36 is essential to getting California back on track.”
Lawson-Remer clapped back in the comments, claiming Faulconer’s comment is “another lie from our failure of a former Mayor.”
“It’s no surprise that a Trump supporter like Kevin is running a campaign based on deceit,” she said. “Fact check: I stated & voted today to consider Prop 36 on Oct 8th. Details matter: especially when it comes to keeping our communities safe.”
Lawson-Remer joined her fellow left-wing colleagues, Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, to approve the substitute motion while Republican Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voted against it.
Desmond told local media in a statement that Californians “have made it clear: they're fed up with rising crime, businesses fleeing the state and everyday essentials locked behind (plastic glass).''
“It's disappointing that the majority of my colleagues refused to stand with us in prioritizing the safety and security of our community,'' he added.
Prop 36, supported by a group of prosecutors and law enforcement, aims to change the classification of certain misdemeanor theft and drug offenses to felonies.
The measure would also create a “treatment-mandated felony” category of crime, which would allow offenders who do not dispute the charges to choose drug treatment rather than going to prison.
However, failure to complete the treatment could result in up to three years in prison.
California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office projects that the measure would likely increase state and local criminal justice costs by tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
The measure was introduced by a coalition of individuals and organizations to reduce property crimes and homelessness that business leaders and law enforcement say was caused by Proposition 47, a measure passed a decade ago that aimed to keep California prisons from overcrowding by reclassifying certain crimes into misdemeanors.
Reported shoplifting of items valued at $950 or less increased by 28% over the last five years, marking the highest level since 2000, according to the findings of the Public Policy Institute of California.
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