INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ORIGINAL FIRE CRACKING DOWN ON RETAIL THEFT. SOME STATE LEADERS TODAY ROLLED OUT A PLAN TO TACKLE THE ISSUE WITHOUT REPEALING THE CONTROVERSIAL LAW KNOWN AS PROP 47. KCRA THREE THREE’S CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA EXPLAINS THIS PROPOSAL. SPEAKER ROBERT RIVAS AND THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER OF THE LEGISLATURE’S SPECIAL COMMITTEE LOOKING INTO RETAIL THEFT, ANNOUNCED A SWEEPING SET OF LAW CHANGES TO TRY TO CRACK DOWN ON THE ISSUE. THE PROPOSAL IS CALLED THE CALIFORNIA RETAIL THEFT REDUCTION ACT. AMONG MANY THINGS, THIS BILL WOULD CREATE A NEW CRIME TARGETING PROFESSIONAL THIEVES, WOULD CREATE NEW REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO RESELL GOODS ONLINE. IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE RETAILERS TO REPORT THEFT DATA. IT ALSO WOULD EXPAND THE USE OF REHABILITATION PROGRAMS LIKE. DRUG COURT, AND IT WOULD ALSO EXPAND TOOLS FOR POLICE TO MAKE ARRESTS AND KEEP REPEAT OFFENDERS IN CUSTODY. THE PLAN APPEARS TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM CALLED FOR EARLIER THIS YEAR. A LOT OF THE DETAILS ARE STILL BEING FLESHED OUT. LAWMAKERS SAY THESE CHANGES WOULD NOT REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL. THEY ALSO SAY THEY’RE NECESSARY FOR RETAIL. CRIME IS NOT ONLY BAD FOR BUSINESS, IT ALSO UNDERMINES SAFETY AND THE PERCEPTION OF SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS BILL, WE ARE DEMONSTRATING THAT THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY HAS LISTENED AND THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF RETAIL CRIME THAT IS PLAGUING OUR COMMUNITIES. THIS COMES AS A GROWING BIPARTISAN GROUP OF ELECTED LEADERS ARE CALLING FOR CHANGES TO PROP 47, WHICH AMONG MANY THINGS ABOUT A DECADE AGO LOOSENED. THE STATE’S LAWS AROUND THEFT. NOW, OPPONENTS OF THOSE POTENTIAL CHANGES SAY THAT THAT COULD REVERT THE STATE BACK TO A TIME WHEN PRISONS WERE OVERCROWDED AND REVERSE THE STATE’S EFFORTS TO REFORM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. I TRIED TO ASK SPEAKER REAVIS ABOUT WHERE HE STANDS ON THIS DEBATE. YOU, AS THE LEADER OF THIS BODY, DO YOU THINK PROP 47 NEEDS CHANGES? UM, I YOU KNOW, I’M HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT A LATER TIME. ASHLEY, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, MY FOCUS HERE HAS BEEN ON THIS LEGISLATIVE PROCESS SEPARATE FROM THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS ROLLED OUT TODAY. STATE LAWMAKERS NOTED THERE ARE 15 TO 20 OTHER PROPOSALS THAT TRY TO TACKLE THIS ISSUE OF RETAIL THEFT, SOME OF WHICH MAY VERY WELL POSSIBLY END UP IN THE HANDS OF VOTERS LATER THIS YEAR. REPORTING AT THE STATE CAPITOL, ASHLEY ZAVALA KCRA THREE NEWS AND REPUBLICAN ARE WEIGHING IN ON THE LATEST RETAIL THEFT PROPOSAL ON X, FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER. ASSEMBLY MEMBER JOE PATTERSON SAID, QUOTE, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS READING THIS TO UNDERSTAND THE FOCUS ON ORGANIZED CRIME. REALLY. DOESN’T HELP MOST SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT OF THEFT FROM CONVENIENCE STORES. OR JUST SMALL THIEVES, BUT CURRENT CALIFORNIA LAW ALLOWS THOSE GUYS TO CARRY ON WITH IMPUNITY. THE PROPOSAL