California will see a high-octane showdown over crime and punishment next year as Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert challenges newly appointed Attorney General Rob Bonta, columnist Dan Walters
Print
Last week, when Californians got the news that the state would lose a congressional seat and the recall vote to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom qualified on the ballot, an intriguing and important political story unfolded apart from those headlines.
Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, a former Republican, announced that she would run as an independent for state attorney general in 2022 against Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, a former state assemblyman, who was recently appointed by Newsom. The attorney general’s office has often been a steppingstone to higher office. Witness the rise of the three most recent occupants of the office Xavier Becerra, Kamala Harris and Jerry Brown.
CALmatters Commentary: Showdown over crime, punishment looms
Dan Walters: CALmatters Commentary
Should California continue to reduce punishment for crimes large and small, or has it gone too far and implicitly allowed criminals to prey upon Californians without fear of imprisonment?
The question has reverberated throughout the state over the past half-decade, ever since former Gov. Jerry Brown lunched a personal crusade to scale back the lock-‘em-up laws that California enacted – including some that he signed – in the 1980s and 1990s.
California voters will answer it next year by either giving newly appointed Attorney General Rob Bonta, a fervent believer in the softer approach to crime, a full term or replacing him with someone with a tougher attitude toward lawbreakers.
Bay Area Reporter :: Lesbian Sacramento DA announces run for state AG ebar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ebar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.