SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters were deciding on 10 ballot measures including one that would turn some nonviolent crimes, like shoplifting, into felonies again, and another that would make the state’s minimum wage the highest in the nation.
Here’s a look at some of the most consequential propositions being put before voters:
Proposition 36
Frustrated with what they see as rampant retail crimes, voters approved an initiative making shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again and increasing penalties for some drug charges, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The tough-on-crime ballot measure also gives judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges to get treatment.
The measure partly rolls back a progressive law passed by voters in 2014 that downgraded several nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors, including theft under $950 in value and some drug offenses. The reversal reflects widespread anger among voters who are increasingly pinning the blame for homelessness and retail theft on criminal justice reform and progressive district attorneys…