Our law enforcement should have every tool and resource available to ensure the safety of our communities,” said Sen. Tony Strickland.
Out of all the statewide ballot measures voted on by Californians in 2024, none passed by such wide margins as Proposition 36. Approved by over 68% of voters, Prop 36 toughened penalties for repeat offenders caught stealing or using hard drugs—like fentanyl—while also expanding treatment as an alternative to prison for some non‑violent drug crimes. Despite nearly a decade of liberal criminal justice reform (including Proposition 47 which decriminalized many low‑level offenses) voters overwhelmingly demanded tougher consequences in response to rising retail theft, addiction and open‑air drug use. In other words, it’s a crystal‑clear message that Californians on both sides of the aisle are concerned about public safety.
Why, then, have state legislators failed to deliver funding for Prop 36’s safety programs? That’s the question being asked by State Senator Tony Strickland (CA SD‑36). Strickland represents a large swath of Southern California and has positioned himself as one of the most vocal proponents of restoring accountability in the criminal justice system.
According to coverage by Capitol reporter Brian Wallace, Strickland and his allies in the Senate had hoped for a $400 million allocation, arguing that “no allocation for probation will make it challenging to implement Prop 36.” But the Senate Democrats settled on $100 million—a one‑time injection from an expiring fund that critics fear will fall short of giving probation law enforcement agencies the resources they need to provide supervision, enforce the new penalties and offer treatment alternatives as intended by Prop 36.
“The paltry $100 million one‑time funding is a slap in the face of nearly 70% of voters who approved it as the Governor and Democratic legislative leaders are deliberately starving law enforcement and probation from any real funding,” Strickland said in a recent press release.
He further points out that Democrats, as part of the same budget approval, just secured a $750 million bailout for the Bay Area Rapid Transit, which saw ridership plummet by 70% to 98% in the wake of the COVID‑19 shutdowns and which never fully recovered to pre‑2020 levels.
That’s not the only wasteful spending that was just approved, at least according to Senate Republicans. Wallace points out that the caucus also took issue with the $18 million in gas tax revenue—originally intended for road maintenance and infrastructure—to build special highway lanes for the upcoming Olympics. Also included in the budget: a $36,000 raise for David Hochschild, Chair of the California Energy Commission, and a $750 million film tax credit for Hollywood.
“Californians are sensitive to government waste, and this decision seems to be focused on pushing for more public transit rather than addressing current needs,” said Strickland. “Yes, a budget is passed, but it is far from a slam dunk, and yet again the governor and Democrats are out of touch with reality and the needs of Californians.”
Strickland asserts that the primary role of government is public safety and protecting the citizenry. It’s not lost on voters that cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have made national headlines for open‑air drug markets and property theft—from the frequent flash‑mob smash‑and‑grab robberies at department stores to homeless individuals using sidewalk camps as hubs for drug dealing. Without the funding to enforce the new sentencing guidelines and to expand treatment programs, Strickland fears Prop 36 may end up being little more than a symbolic victory.
