A handful of Democratic lawmakers, criminal justice, labor and other community organizations held a rally outside of the state Capitol on Monday against a controversial crime measure on the November ballot.Proposition 36 will ask California voters in November to harshen the penalties for repeat thieves and fentanyl dealers. A recent Berkeley/IGS poll showed that 56% of California voters would approve the measure, 23% would reject it and 21% were undecided. Opponents at Monday's rally warned it would revert California back to its days of mass incarceration. "For decades, Californians have been calling for real safety solutions that address the root causes that lead to symptoms like petty crime and substance abuse because we know where petty crime and substance abuse most often occurs," said Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles. "It occurs in the same communities that have underfunded schools, that don't have food infrastructure, where the rent is too high, where housing is unaffordable, where there are environmental hazards next door and the only civic infrastructure we invest in is mass incarceration." Critics have said, if passed, the measure will have a disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities. They also noted it could result in billions of taxpayer dollars being funneled into the state's prison system. Several speakers at Monday's rally, including Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, placed blame on the media for fueling support for the initiative by constantly showing visuals of theft in communities across California."The media has helped in that, quite frankly, by showing every single break-in that happens," Kalra said. "They don't show the wage theft that's happening and how people are being robbed left and right, do they?"Another state lawmaker, Assemblyman Reggie-Jones Sawyer, claimed the initiative was pushed by Republicans. "Because of MAGA individuals, MAGA law enforcement, MAGA press and MAGA politicians want to reverse us back to those days when they could lock up as many Black and brown people as possible," he said. But the issue has pitted Democrats against each other, with several Democratic state lawmakers and some mayors backing the initiative. That includes some proposals introduced by Democrats that have been shut down by legislative leaders in the past. That includes efforts to raise penalties on fentanyl dealers and repeat thieves and require a court warning to those convicted of dealing fentanyl that if they do it again and someone dies, they could face murder charges. Republicans said they're confident the initiative will pass. "Why in urban areas is shaving cream under lock and key?" said state Sen. Roger Niello, R-Roseville. "These issues have been news, they have been huge problems, voters know it, and we're doing something about it."See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter