Vice President Kamala Harris refused to say how she would vote on a California proposition to toughen crime punishments for some drug and theft offenders.
The Los Angeles Times reached out to Harris’s campaign, inquiring how she would vote on Proposition 36, but they declined to field questions on the matter.
The proposition, if passed, would mean increased criminal punishment for some who are guilty of particular theft and drug charges. For instance, it would make thefts of $950 or less a felony offense for perpetrators previously convicted of crimes like car theft, burglary, and shoplifting. Currently, it is generally a misdemeanor to steal $950 or less. Prison and jail sentences could be up to three years.
Moreover, “Proposition 36 allows felony sentences for theft or damage of property to be lengthened by up to three years if three or more people committed the crime together,” as the California Legislative Analysis Office noted.
Regarding drug offenses, it requires courts to notify drug dealers that they could be charged with murder if they continue to sell drugs and an individual dies. Moreover, sentences for selling certain kinds of drugs can be lengthed based on how much a drug dealer sells.
A Public Policy Institute of California survey finds that 71 percent of Golden Staters are in favor of the tougher-on-crime policies in Proposition 36. The poll was conducted August 29-September 15 and included a sample of 1,605 California residents.
Proposition 36 would largely reverse softer penalties that were implemented through Proposition 47 a decade ago. At the time, some Harris allies backed Proposition 47, which was touted “as a progressive criminal justice reform,” per the LA Times.
The outlet also asked for her views on Proposition 47, but the Harris campaign did not answer and was not on record supporting it or opposing it leading up to the 2014 election.
This marks the latest instance of what has become a pattern of dodging questions about policy positions. As Breitbart News noted Wednesday, Harris did not share her position on the death penalty when asked by Axios’s Alex Thompson. This comes as the campaign has also refused to share positions on decriminalizing prostitution and amnesty this week.
