Editorial: Prop. 36’s smart response to crime, addiction, homelessness

California faces rapidly increasing homelessness, steadily rising retail theft and a startling escalation of opioid-related deaths. The three are interconnected and must be addressed.

Proposition 36 provides a thoughtful and tempered response. Voters should back the measure on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The proposition won’t solve homelessness, which has multiple causes. Nor will it end shoplifting or the state’s fentanyl crisis. But it should help in a meaningful way.

It’s a much-needed adjustment of Proposition 47...