Prop 9 doesn't need to be passed by initiative. Crime victims get very respectful hearing in the state legislature. So they don't need to pass this as a constitutional amendment, by initiative. They could get what they want through the legislature, unless it is really crazy.
Prop 9 repeats a lot of laws already on the books in California. That's not a huge harm, but it usually indicates an initiative writer who doesn't know what they're doing or is trying to hide something by combining it with a bunch of provisions people will agree with. Notably, most of the "victims' rights" cited by proponents already exist in state law. So why pass a constitutional amendment for them? No good reason.
Prop 9 "fixes" problems that don't exist. California's parole system is already very strict.
Prop 9 will further overload our prison system. California prisons are already so overcrowded, we have federal judges taking over the prison medical system. We've already got mandatory sentences and lots of other limits on any discretion in the criminal justice system. Let's not make it worse.
If there are any merits to this measure, they should go through the legislature, because we won't be able to clean up all the mistakes in this one.
Check out what others think:
- San Jose Mercury News editorial
- Long Beach Press-Telegram editorial (not a bastion of liberal thinking, in my experience)
- League of Women Voters pro/con analysis
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