San Francisco small business owners rally against Prop 36

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Proposition 36 may be the most contentious ballot measure Californians will have to decide this November. On Tuesday, opponents of the measure rallied in San Francisco, urging voters to reject the measure.

If passed, Prop 36 would allow felony charges and increased sentences for certain drug and theft crimes. It reverses parts of Prop 47 which was passed by voters in 2014.

The California Legislative Analyst's Office says that if Prop 36 passes, it could result in more people being sent to prison, an increased workload for state courts and increased costs.

However, recent polling has shown that a majority of California voters support Prop 36.

At Tuesday’s rally, opponents of the measure said the passing of Prop 36 will not make California safer. They are also worried that if the measure passes, funding will be taken from programs designed to keep people out of prison.

The legislative analyst’s office estimates that if Prop 36 passes, the state’s criminal justice costs could increase by tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars per year.