GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED 2026–2027 BUDGET AGAIN FAILS TO FUND

VOTER-APPROVED PROPOSITION 36

Joint Statement from California District Attorneys Association, California State Sheriffs’ Association & Chief Probation Officers of California

Sacramento, CA (January 9, 2026) – The California District Attorneys Association, California State Sheriffs’ Association, and the Chief Probation Officers of California released the following joint statement in response to Governor Newsom’s proposed 2026-2027 budget.

“For the second year in a row, the Governor’s budget fails to provide the funding counties need to implement Proposition 36 as voters intended. Californians in all 58 counties overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36 to restore real accountability for serial retail thieves and hard-drug trafficking offenders, paired with court-supervised treatment that is proven to work.

Without adequate resources, law enforcement, prosecutors, and probation officers are left with our hands tied – unable to fully carry out the law and deliver the results Californians demanded at the ballot box.

Proposition 36 provides a proven framework to hold people accountable, direct them into treatment, reduce repeat crime, and help individuals rehabilitate, reunite with their families, and move forward. Counties stand ready to continue the implementation of this model, but it cannot succeed without the funding required to make it work.

California voters were clear. The state has an obligation to fully fund and implement the law they passed, and we look forward to working with the California State Legislature to ensure constituents have their voices heard.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Tiffany Moffatt at 916-837-0643 or tmoffatt@actumllc.com.