Sens. Blakespear, Rubio and Umberg Call for More Prop 36 Funding
In a letter to the Senate budget chair, the three say $400 million more is needed to pay for treatment
SACRAMENTO – Sens. Catherine S. Blakespear, Susan Rubio and Thomas J. Umberg have called for $400 million to be added to the state budget to help counties and local law enforcement agencies pay for licensed drug and alcohol treatment and other services required under Proposition 36, and to ensure that the treatment is evidence-based and properly regulated.
Passed overwhelmingly by the state’s voters in November 2024, Prop 36 increased sentences on certain drug and theft crimes and required that repeat offenders who need alcohol or drug counseling and treatment have the opportunity to get it. Prop 36 is a strong bipartisan mandate to reduce repeat theft offenses, improve public safety and expand access to behavioral health and substance use treatment.
Initial funding supported early implementation and public defender caseloads. However, counties, courts, probation departments, treatment providers and law enforcement agencies have not been adequately funded and are already reporting that demand and associated costs are exceeding available resources. The current year’s budget includes $100 million for Prop 36 implementation, but that is far short of what is needed.
“As local government budgets buckle under growing pressures from both state and federal budget constraints, we need to provide state funding to ensure people can access and complete treatment without having to defund other critical law enforcement responses,” the three senators said in a letter sent to Sen. John Laird, Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
“Based upon preliminary caseload estimates,” the letter said, “we believe $400 million will provide the statewide system responses needed to fulfill the new law requirements and will be able to build upon previously funded investments in treatment and court services.”
Fully funding services mandated by Prop 36 will honor voters’ wishes and ensure treatment-based approaches deliver meaningful, measurable results and help prevent offenders from reoffending.
Without additional funding, local governments – and specifically county probation, courts and sheriffs – will lack sufficient frontline resources to implement treatment, diversion and rehabilitation services, the letter said. In surveying members of the law enforcement community, the senators said, inadequate funding has resulted in cost shifts to local governments and increased incarcerations and emergency service costs.
“To follow through on Prop 36, which a majority of voters in every single California county voted for, we must support and fund the local agencies implementing it,” Sen. Blakespear said. “We must provide the counseling and treatment needed for offenders if we want Prop 36 to work and prevent repeated crime.”
“California families deserve safe communities and real solutions to crime that too often leave families struggling to make ends meet when businesses close and jobs disappear,” Sen. Rubio said. “Proposition 36 created a path to hold offenders accountable while connecting those battling addiction to treatment. Investing in its implementation will ensure counties, courts, and treatment providers have the resources needed to break cycles of addiction and generational hardship while strengthening public safety.”
“Substance abuse treatment will be a substantial component of Prop 36 felony mandated treatment plans,” Sen. Umberg said. “This funding request is crucial to ensuring that the state Department of Health Care Services and county behavioral health services can provide the care and oversight needed for those who need it most.”
“To uphold the promise made by Prop 36, California must provide the resources vital for the measure’s successful implementation,” said Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes, president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association. “We are grateful for the support of Senators Blakespear, Rubio, and Umberg as well as other legislators who continue to recognize the need for appropriate funding for meaningful treatment and enhanced accountability in our criminal justice system.”
“We appreciate Senator Blakespear and others who are standing up to provide important implementation support,” said Contra Costa County Chief Probation Officer Esa Ehmen-Krause, president of the Chief Probations Officers of California. “Probation plays a vital role in providing courts with timely information about each defendant’s risk, needs, and treatment options—ensuring public safety and successful rehabilitation outcomes. Without these resources, the state risks implementing Proposition 36 without the infrastructure necessary to fulfill the state’s obligation to voters. Establishing a treatment-referral system without accountability only perpetuates the status quo that voters overwhelmingly sought to change.”
Sen. Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.