in Crime, Kamala Harris, LA, Politics

Kamala Won’t Say How She Voted On Crime-Fighting Measure In California

Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, declined to disclose her vote on California’s Proposition 36—a proposal to increase penalties for certain drug and theft-related crimes. The proposal, set for the ballot just days before Election Day, seeks to roll back portions of a previous law, Proposition 47, passed in 2014, which had downgraded several offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. Proposition 36 specifically aims to allow felony charges for drug possession and thefts under $950 if the defendant has two prior convictions in these categories.

When questioned about her vote during a press exchange in Detroit on Sunday, Harris said she had completed her mail-in ballot but avoided directly endorsing or opposing the measure. “I am not gonna talk about the vote on that because, honestly, it’s the Sunday before the election, and I don’t intend to create an endorsement one way or another around it,” Harris stated, opting not to elaborate further.

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Harris’s reticence comes amidst growing frustration from critics who argue that Proposition 47 has contributed to rising crime in California, citing surges in retail theft, open drug use, and homelessness in major cities across the state. Many critics have linked these issues to a softer approach to crime that they argue prioritizes criminal leniency over public safety. Although Harris was California’s Attorney General when Proposition 47 was enacted, she reportedly remained neutral on the measure, citing “procedural reasons” at the time, as reported by Semafor.

Harris’s refusal to clarify her position on Proposition 36 prompted swift reactions on social media, with many decrying what they perceive as a lack of commitment to cracking down on crime. Nicole Shanahan, a Bay Area lawyer and former vice-presidential running mate to independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who later endorsed former President Donald Trump, was among those criticizing Harris. Shanahan commented, “It reminds me of the gaslighting faced by many who have chosen to vote Unity in 2024. REAL science and REAL food require REAL free speech and REAL debate. Anything else is propaganda.”

Popular conservative accounts also criticized Harris’s stance. The widely followed “Libs of TikTok” account, managed by Chaya Raichik, shared a video depicting a smash-and-grab theft, remarking, “Kamala won’t say if she supports penalties for these people or not. If she wanted to crack down on crime, why wouldn’t she say that? She didn’t answer because we all know she supports this lawlessness. Soft-on-crime Kamala will destroy your city.”

Proposition 36 has sparked a larger debate on how best to address crime, with many Republicans arguing that tougher penalties are necessary to curb surges in theft and drug offenses. Harris’s reluctance to take a definitive stance is being viewed by critics as indicative of the Democratic Party’s broader approach to crime, an issue increasingly central to the 2024 election cycle.