Voters Roared, Newsom Slow-Walks

California Governor Gavin Newsom has repeatedly refused to fully fund Proposition 36 — a tough-on-crime law that voters passed by a landslide — leaving counties without the money they need to enforce it.

Story Snapshot

California voters passed Proposition 36 in November 2024 with 70% support, toughening penalties for drug crimes and theft and requiring treatment for repeat offenders.
Newsom opposed Prop 36 before it passed and has since budgeted far less than the $250 million counties say they need each year to enforce it.
In May 2026, Newsom’s revised budget included zero new dollars for Prop 36, drawing sharp criticism from sheriffs, district attorneys, and probation officers.
The state legislature stepped in and included $110 million for Prop 36 in its budget deal — still well below what local officials say is required.

Voters Said Yes — Newsom Said Not So Fast

California voters approved Proposition 36 in November 2024 with roughly 70% of the vote. The measure increased penalties for drug-related crimes and theft. It also gave judges the power to order mental health and drug treatment for repeat offenders. The message from voters was clear. But Governor Newsom had openly campaigned against the measure before it passed, and his actions since then have matched that opposition.

Newsom’s first full budget after Prop 36 passed — covering 2025-26 — included only $65 million for the law’s enforcement. County officials said they needed at least $250 million per year to make it work. Then, in May 2026, Newsom’s revised spending plan included zero new dollars for Prop 36 at all. He argued the measure was an “unfunded mandate” — meaning voters approved it without attaching a funding source — and said counties should rely on savings from an older law, Proposition 47, to cover the costs.

Law Enforcement Calls It a Betrayal

The response from law enforcement was swift and unified. The California District Attorneys Association, the State Sheriffs’ Association, and the Chief Probation Officers of California issued a joint statement accusing Newsom of “turning his back” on communities that need resources to enforce the law voters passed. That kind of coordinated pushback from three major law enforcement groups is rare and signals just how serious the funding gap is on the ground.

Republican lawmakers also pushed back hard. State Senator Tony Strickland and Assembly Republicans demanded $400 million in Prop 36 funding, calling Newsom’s inaction a direct slap at voter intent. The governor’s 2026-27 budget did include $110 million for Prop 36 — an increase from the year before — but still far below what local officials say is needed. The state legislature’s own budget deal also included $110 million, showing that even lawmakers in Sacramento recognized the funding gap had to be addressed.

The Full Picture Is More Complicated

Newsom’s office points to some real actions taken. In September 2025, the state awarded $127 million in grants tied to both Prop 36 and the older Proposition 47 reform law. The governor also noted that $100 million from prior budget cycles had already been set aside for Prop 36 programs. Critics, including county officials, pushed back on those numbers — arguing the grants were spread thin and didn’t come close to covering the actual cost of running treatment programs statewide.

But Californians had to pass Prop 36 (and recall Chesa Boudin) to get local prosecutors to pursue misdemeanor shoplifting charges in the face of opposition from, among many others, Gavin Newsom. In the meantime, many crimes simply weren't reported because nothing would be done.

— David Alexander (@DaveAlexanderID) July 9, 2026

There is also a deeper structural problem at play. Prop 36, like many California ballot measures, was written without a built-in funding mechanism. That means counties are legally required to carry out its mandates but must beg the state for money to do so. California already has over $3.6 billion in unpaid mandate claims from past voter-approved laws the state never fully funded. Prop 36 may be heading down that same road. Early data adds another wrinkle: of 771 people placed into treatment under Prop 36, only 25 completed it — raising questions about whether money alone is the only obstacle.

What This Means for Voters

At its core, this story is about whether elected officials respect what voters decide. Prop 36 passed with one of the largest margins of any California ballot measure in recent memory. Newsom opposed it, voters overruled him, and he has since controlled how much money flows to enforce it. Whether you call that prudent budgeting or deliberate obstruction depends on your politics. But the pattern — voters speaking loudly and a governor finding ways to slow-walk the result — is one that frustrates people across the political spectrum who feel their votes don’t actually change anything.