Californians overwhelmingly pass anti-crime Proposition 36 measure that Dem Gov. Gavin Newsom strongly opposed

California voters approved by a massive margin a ballot measure to more harshly punish certain crimes — with the initiative garnering a whopping 70.6% support with nearly 7.5 million ballots counted.Democratic Gov.Gavin Newsom strongly opposed the measure, saying that “Prop 36 takes us back to the 1980s, mass incarceration — it promotes a promise that can’t be delivered.”Prop 36 authorizes felony charges for possession of drugs including fentanyl and for thefts under $950 if the offender has two prior drug or theft convictions, according to the official summary of its provisions.“Defendants who plead guilty to felony drug possession and complete treatment can have charges dismissed” through the creation of a new category of crime called “treatment-mandated felony,” according to the measure’s summary,...