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| Measure J (Los Angeles County) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Measure J (Los Angeles County) |
| Type | referendum |
| Date | November 6, 2018 |
| Location | Los Angeles County, California |
| Result | Passed |
Measure J (Los Angeles County) was a county ballot measure approved by voters in Los Angeles County on November 6, 2018, that directed a portion of the county budget toward alternatives to incarceration and towards community-based services. It originated in a political and legal context involving criminal justice reform debates in California, intersecting with initiatives and institutions across Los Angeles, Sacramento, and national reform movements.
Measure J emerged amid a period of high-profile criminal justice and public policy activity involving figures and entities such as Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, Kamala Harris, Alex Villanueva, Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and advocacy networks like ACLU and Black Lives Matter. Debates following incidents linked to Los Angeles Police Department, Rikers Island comparisons, and national campaigns like The Marshall Project and Campaign Zero shaped local discourse. The measure was shaped by precedents including ordinances in Oakland, ballot measures in San Francisco, state efforts such as Proposition 47 (2014), Proposition 57 (2016), and federal conversations tied to First Step Act advocates and think tanks like Brennan Center for Justice. Fiscal context invoked agencies like the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and budget processes involving the California State Legislature and Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office.
The text of the measure mandated that at least 10% of the county's locally generated unrestricted revenues be allocated to community-based programs focused on alternatives to incarceration, including services administered by entities such as Department of Mental Health (Los Angeles County), Department of Public Health (Los Angeles County), Los Angeles County Probation Department, and non-profits working with populations affected by the criminal justice system of California. Measure J referenced mechanisms for participatory budgeting and was situated alongside county fiscal instruments like the Los Angeles County Budget Calendar and budget adoption by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Legal framing interacted with California constitutional provisions, administrative law overseen by the California Attorney General and California State Controller, and municipal law practices in jurisdictions such as Long Beach, California and Pasadena, California.
Supporters included coalitions and organizations such as ACLU of Southern California, SEIU United Service Workers West, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, The Advancement Project, and community groups from neighborhoods like South Los Angeles, Compton, Inglewood, California, and Skid Row, Los Angeles. Prominent endorsers included elected officials and public figures such as Hilda Solis, Alex Padilla, Nury Martinez, Mark Ridley-Thomas, and activists linked to networks like Color Of Change and Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. National organizations, including Center for Popular Democracy and funders associated with foundations comparable to Open Society Foundations and Ford Foundation, participated in outreach, alongside labor sponsors such as United Food and Commercial Workers.
Opposition came from entities including the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office, certain members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, law enforcement unions like Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputies, and public safety advocates aligned with groups resembling Protect California Communities. Critics cited fiscal concerns raised by the California State Association of Counties and questioned compatibility with mandates from courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and state courts handling litigation like Brown v. Plata. Commentators from media organizations such as Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post published analyses questioning implementation logistics and overlap with county budget discretion. Legal scholars referencing decisions of the California Supreme Court and interpretations by the California Attorney General debated enforceability, preemption, and constitutional issues.
Measure J was approved by Los Angeles County voters on November 6, 2018, with vote totals certified by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Post-election, implementation required coordination among agencies including the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office, Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and community-based service providers. Implementation intersected with initiatives at state levels, such as policy changes following Proposition 47 (2014) and funding shifts in response to budgetary action by the California Governor. Subsequent administrative actions involved negotiations with labor organizations like SEIU Local 2015 and legal challenges referencing municipal law precedents from cities like San Diego and San Jose, California.
The passage prompted litigation and policy debate invoking entities such as the California Courts of Appeal, United States District Court for the Central District of California, and legal advocacy groups including the ACLU Foundation and Public Counsel (Los Angeles). Policy effects touched programs run by Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and influenced planning in homeless services akin to initiatives in Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The measure influenced discourse on fiscal policy linked to the California Budget and Policy Center and advocacy strategies used by national campaigns like Movement for Black Lives. It also led to comparisons with reforms in jurisdictions such as Cook County, Illinois and New York City, informing subsequent proposals and legislative action in the California State Legislature and local ballot measures across California.
Category:2018 California ballot measures Category:Politics of Los Angeles County, California