Pass: 4,238,156 / 59.6% Yes votes ...... 2,871,943 / 40.4% No votes

See Also: Index of all Propositions

Summary Prepared by the State Attorney General:

• Requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for certain drug possession offenses.
• Requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for the following crimes when amount involved is $950 or less: petty theft, receiving stolen property, and forging/writing bad checks.
• Allows felony sentence for these offenses if person has previous conviction for crimes such as rape, murder, or child molestation or is registered sex offender.
• Requires resentencing for persons serving felony sentences for these offenses unless court finds unreasonable public safety risk.
• Applies savings to mental health and drug treatment programs, K+12 schools, and crime victims.

Fiscal Impact from the Legislative Analyst:

• Net state criminal justice system savings that could reach the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually. These savings would be spent on school truancy and dropout prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and victim services.
• Net county criminal justice system savings that could reach several hundred million dollars annually.

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote on this measure means:

Criminal offenders who commit certain nonserious and nonviolent drug and property crimes would be sentenced to reduced penalties (such as shorter terms in jail). State savings resulting from the measure would be used to support school truancy and dropout prevention, victim services, mental health and drug abuse treatment, and other programs designed to keep offenders out of prison and jail.

A NO vote on this measure means:

Penalties for offenders who commit certain nonserious and nonviolent drug and property crimes would not be reduced.

• Official Election Web Site
• Full Text
• Impartial Analysis from the Legislative Analyst

Summary of Arguments FOR Proposition 47:

Changes low-level nonviolent crimes, such as simple drug possession and petty theft from felonies to misdemeanors. Authorizes felonies for registered sex offenders and anyone previously convicted of rape, murder or child molestation. Saves hundreds of millions of dollars every year and funds schools, crime victims, mental health and drug treatment.

Summary of Arguments AGAINST Proposition 47:

Potentially releases 10,000 felons from state prison. Reduces penalties for stealing guns. Reduces penalties for possession of "date rape" drugs. Opposed by prosecutors, law enforcement, and the business community. Opposed by crime victims and sexual abuse victims. Vote NO on Proposition 47.

Contact FOR Proposition 47:

Yes on 47
(510)550-5486
campaign@safetyandschools.com
http://www.VoteYes47.com

Contact AGAINST Proposition 47:

John Lovell
California Police Chiefs Association< br> 1127 11th Street, Ste. 523
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-3820
jlovell@johnlovell.com
http://www.californiapolicechiefs.org

Secretary of State

• Official Results - includes results by county

VotersEdge

• Funding Summary for Prop 47 - the most complete information: everything on this page plus funding, news articles, endorsements, ads. From MapLight and the Smart Voter team of LWV California Education Fund
• Cal-Access - Details of committee campaign finance filings submitted to the Secretary of State.

League of Women Voters

• Video Explanation of Prop 47 (English) - These animated videos were produced by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund in partnership with SeePolitical. Also available in Spanish.
• Easy Voter Guide - An overview of proposition 47. Guide is available in PDF for printing
• Pros and Cons of Prop 47 - Read more detail about proposition 47
• In Depth of Prop 47 - Even more detail!!
• How to Evaluate Ballot Measures

Pros & Cons: Santa Clara County

• Pros & Cons Presentations
• Video Presentation by the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto

• Oct. 27, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, Fremont Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont

KPCC Coverage

• Election 2014: Prop 47 reduces drug and property crimes to misdemeanors - 10/09. Proposition 47 would reduce some felony property and drug crimes to misdemeanors. Millions in savings would go to fund community rehabilitation programs, but opponents say it would derail realignment and encourage criminals to reoffend.
• How Prop 47 would change some felonies to misdemeanors - 10/09. If approved, Proposition 47 would reduce the classification of most "non-serious and nonviolent property and drug crimes" from a felony to a misdemeanor.

• Election Guide - see a summary, statement of what the proposition does, and the "inside scoop" by correspondent John Myers for each proposition
• Proposition 47 Coverage

San Diego U-T

What you need to know about Prop 47

10/25/14