SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters could decide next year whether to create new county courts to steer homeless people into mental health and drug addiction treatment programs.
A ballot measure proposed Thursday by former Assemblyman Mike Gatto aims to provide services to people who commit crimes like defecating in public or using drugs.
It would need signoff from roughly 620,000 Californians to make it onto the ballot. As of now, Gatto has no large donors willing to bankroll a signature collection campaign.
His proposal comes as California is in the throes of a worsening homeless crisis, with a growing number of people living on the streets in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
He proposes paying for it by tapping a tax on millionaires approved by voters in 2004.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.