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California Punishment for Repeat Theft Convictions Initiative (2022)
| California Punishment for Repeat Theft Convictions Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic Law enforcement | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Punishment for Repeat Theft Convictions Initiative (#21-0041) was not on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 8, 2022.
The ballot initiative would have provided that people convicted of theft, grand theft, or shoplifting for a second (or more) time be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year.[1]
Text of the measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:[2]
| “ |
AUTHORIZES FELONY SENTENCES FOR CERTAIN THEFTS UNDER $950. REQUIRES LONGER SENTENCES FOR SPECIFIED PROPERTY LOSSES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.[3] |
” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Authorizes prosecutors to file felony or misdemeanor charges for thefts of any amount under $950—currently chargeable as felonies only in certain circumstances—against any person with two or more prior specified theft convictions. Adds mandatory sentencing enhancement for any felony resulting in significant property loss or damage, ranging from one additional year for losses over $50,000, to four years for losses over $3,000,000, plus one year for each additional $3,000,000. Authorizes prosecution for theft in any county where acts in furtherance occurred.[3] |
” |
Fiscal impact
The fiscal impact statement would have been as follows:[2]
| “ |
Increased state criminal justice system costs potentially in the low tens of millions of dollars annually, primarily due to an increase in the state prison population. Some of these costs could be offset by reductions in certain spending on mental health and substance use services, truancy and dropout prevention, and victim services due to requirements in current law. Increased county criminal justice system costs potentially in the low tens of millions of dollars annually, primarily due to increases in county jail and community supervision populations.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in California
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. Petitions are allowed to circulate for 180 days from the date the attorney general prepares the petition language. Signatures need to be certified at least 131 days before the general election. As the verification process can take multiple months, the secretary of state provides suggested deadlines for ballot initiatives.
The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2022 ballot:
- Signatures: 623,212 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was 131 days before the general election, which was around June 30, 2022. However, the process of verifying signatures can take multiple months and proponents are recommended to file signatures at least two months before the verification deadline.
Signatures are first filed with local election officials, who determine the total number of signatures submitted. If the total number is equal to at least 100 percent of the required signatures, then local election officials perform a random check of signatures submitted in their counties. If the random sample estimates that more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, the initiative is eligible for the ballot. If the random sample estimates that between 95 and 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, a full check of signatures is done to determine the total number of valid signatures. If less than 95 percent are estimated to be valid, the initiative does not make the ballot.
Initiative #21-0041
Thomas W. Hiltachk filed the ballot initiative on November 23, 2021. It was given a ballot summary on January 27, 2022, and a signature submission deadline of July 26, 2022. The initiative did not qualify for the ballot by the June 30, 2022, deadline.[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Attorney General, "Initiative 21-0041," November 23, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed January 31, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Initiatives," accessed November 23, 2021
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State of California Sacramento (capital) |
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