In an unexpected development, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday backed off plans to put a crime-fighting bill on the ballot. The day after the proposal was announced It had been the subject of lengthy negotiations on Capitol Hill.

The abrupt cancellation culminated six months of political maneuvering over criminal justice policy, in which Democrats have faltered against a tough-on-crime approach backed by Republicans, district attorneys and big-box retailers. The initiative remains on the November ballot, asking voters to repeal parts of Proposition 47, a decade-old law that turned some nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors.

Newsom is Offer voters an alternativeDemocrats spent days debating the alternative measure, which is less punitive than the prosecutors' measure and addresses concerns about theft and fentanyl, before formally approving it. In legislation Sunday night, the final hours before lawmakers were due to draft legislation for the November ballot.

The bill, supported by the governor and legislative leaders, would address repeat shoplifting by making a third misdemeanor in a three-year period punishable by three years in prison. Multiple thefts could be charged as felonies if the total value of stolen goods exceeds $950. It would also increase penalties for drug dealers who sell fentanyl without the buyer's knowledge.

Newsom touted the plan as “targeted reforms to Proposition 47” that reflect a “balanced approach.”

“We will prioritize public safety without returning to outdated and ineffective policies from decades ago,” he said.

But it was essentially doing what Newsom and legislative leaders have been saying for months. What they didn't want to do was ask voters to change Proposition 47.It is a pillar of the state's progressive criminal justice reforms aimed at reducing the prison population.

Lawmakers were scheduled to vote on Newsom's bill Wednesday night, but it was already in disarray as lawmakers were set to leave Sacramento for the Fourth of July holiday and month-long summer recess. There was also a deadline that Newsom had to sign the bill by midnight Wednesday to get it to a vote. Then, as Biden met with Democratic governors to solidify their support for his reelection campaign, Newsom decided to fly to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to “stand by the president,” a spokesman for his campaign said.

In a statement explaining his decision to reverse the measure, Governor Newsom decried the tight deadline.

“We are withdrawing this bill from consideration because we were unable to meet the voting deadline to secure the amendments necessary to ensure this bill's success,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “I thank the Legislature and countless stakeholders who came to the table to work on meaningful reform, and I look forward to our work moving forward.”

Newsom said he had the votes needed to pass the bill, but three Democratic senators said the bill did not have the support — a stunning political miscalculation in a Legislature where Democrats hold sizable supermajorities.

The bill's failure marked a rare standoff by Democrats against one of the governor's priorities, but it also highlighted a shaky strategy by two inexperienced legislative leaders. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who became House speaker last year, and Senate Leader Mike Maguire, who became Senate president earlier this year. Both men have risen to prominence for addressing theft through legislation but, like Newsom, have said multiple times this year that they don't want to ask voters to amend Proposition 47.

Instead they moved forward Crime Prevention Bill Democrats then tried to use them to convince prosecutors to withdraw the bill from the vote. Add a provision to repeal his own crime bill The tactic backfired once voters passed the prosecutors' measure. It drew widespread condemnation from sheriffs and district attorneys, enough lawmakers withdrew their support, and it also caused an uproar among Republicans who withdrew their support for the bipartisan crime bill. Democrats eventually withdrew the controversial provision just weeks after introducing it.

“For months, attempts have been made to enlist the California District Attorneys Association to join this effort. They have refused, choosing instead to push for a ballot measure that would reinstate mass incarceration and failed drug war era policies,” Governor Newsom said in a statement.

After talks collapsed, Newsom and Democratic leaders planned to draft their own replacement plan, but struggled to gain support. It faced opposition from progressive Democrats who oppose harsher sentencing and want to avoid overcrowding prisons, and from moderate Democrats who valued support from sheriffs and district attorneys who support a more conservative plan. Newsom's plan received no support from law enforcement groups.

The Congressional Black Caucus opposes the bill, saying it could disproportionately impact Black Californians, Rep. Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) said at a hearing Tuesday morning. The bill passed the Assembly on a procedural vote Monday but did not receive majority support from the full House, unusual for a leadership-backed bill. Republicans slammed the bill for including the phrase “Alexandra's Law” without the consent of the family of a 20-year-old Riverside County girl. Her parents have been calling for tougher punishment for drug dealers since their daughter died after taking fentanyl pills purchased from a dealer on Snapchat.

This series of events marks a major victory for the California District Attorneys Association, a longtime opponent of Proposition 47, which will now appear on the November ballot with no competing proposition.

“We are pleased that the Governor and Legislature have rescinded their anti-crime measures and welcome them to join our campaign to responsibly reform Proposition 47 to address retail theft, the fentanyl crisis and homelessness,” Greg Totten, CEO of the California District Attorneys Association, said in a statement.

“We're pleased to be able to provide this to our customers,” said Daniel Conway, vice president of the California Grocers Association, who supported both ballot measures.

“I think if there was just one measure on the ballot, the choice would be much clearer for voters.”

Governor Newsom said he plans to sign a series of anti-crime bills “soon,” calling them “the most significant reforms in decades.”