Capitol Briefs: Suspense actions, Big Prop 36 news

Suspense by the numbers: Last Thursday lawmakers in both the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees parties addressed their respective suspense files. As noted by lobbyist and regular Capitol Weekly contributor Chris Micheli, the committees collectively voted on 830 measures: 515 in the Senate and 315 (313 bills, one ACR and one SCR) in the Assembly. The final tallies looked like this:

ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS CMTE SUSPENSE FILE
315 measures considered

1 pulled by author

94 held on Suspense (30%)

220 DP or DPA (70%)

1 to Rules Committee

219 to the Floor

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS CMTE SUSPENSE FILE
515 measures considered

1 pulled by author

173 held on Suspense (34%)

341 DP or DPA (66%)

1 to Rules Committee

340 to the Floor

830 measures dispensed with during Suspense Files voting

559 measures to the Floors (67%)

2 bills to the Rules Committees

WHAT IS LEFT TO DO BY AUGUST 31?

ASSEMBLY – Convenes Monday, August 19, 1pm
Senate 2^nd Reading – 216

Concurrence – 16

Remove from Inactive – 3

Assembly 3^rd Reading – 5

Senate 3^rd Reading – 97

Consent – 10

                TOTAL: 347

SENATE – Convenes Monday, August 19, 2pm
Senate 2^nd Reading – 2

Assembly 2^nd Reading – 338

Concurrence – 22

Senate 3^rd Reading – 8

Assembly 3^rd Reading – 302

Consent – 2

                TOTAL: 674

Total measures on the two Files: 1,021
Plus, there are measures pending in committees and measures that could be removed from the Inactive Files. All measures must be dispensed with by August 31^st.

Newsom signs crime package: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a 10-bill package that addresses a variety of anti-theft measures, ranging from car break-ins to massive retail theft. The signing drew praise from business advocates, including the California Business Roundtable, which in a statement called the package “an important part of a comprehensive solution that includes key reforms to Proposition 47 on the ballot this November.”

The reforms in question are contained in Proposition 36, which would impose tougher standards across many of the same areas addressed in the bill package Newsom signed. The Prop 36 campaign was less than impressed with the bills Newsom signed.

“State leaders have had years to address California’s crime and drug crises, yet little has been done to tackle the root causes,” it said in a press release. “These newly passed legislative bills are half measures, failing to address the fundamental issues of habitual repeat theft, the fentanyl epidemic, and the ongoing homelessness crisis, which remains unaddressed due to the lack of strong incentives for drug treatment.”

So far, it would seem that California voters agree. A new Berkeley IGS poll shows that voters support Prop 36 by a 56% to 23% margin.