Mike Hestrin: Proposition 36 is working but the state must fund treatment

With the overwhelming passage of Proposition 36 in November 2024, California voters sent a clear message to state lawmakers: it is time to end the public safety and public health crises of untreated addiction and rampant retail theft.

Proposition 36 enacted a transformative approach targeting these issues, mandating treatment programs for those suffering from addiction and increasing penalties for repeat theft offenders and those peddling deadly drugs like fentanyl. While early signs of success are evident...