A majority of California voters support tougher penalties for property crimes and crimes involving fentanyl, according to a new poll by the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies co-sponsored by The New York Times.

According to a poll released Friday, 56% of Californians Proposition 36, The measure on the November ballot would impose tougher penalties for repeat thefts and crimes involving the deadly drug fentanyl.

The proposal has been at the center of a debate in the state Legislature this year, with Republicans and law enforcement advocates seeking to repeal Democratic reforms that downgraded felonies to misdemeanors and blamed them for rising crime. Organized Retail Theft and An act of “robbery.”

The poll is gauging how voters feel about efforts designed to address California's growing upper-income population. Cost of living. Polls show that a majority of voters support raising the state's minimum wage to $18 an hour, but are divided on a bill that would encourage local governments to expand rent control, though still leaning toward yes.

The broad support for Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime measure, comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democrats try to balance Californians' frustrations about crime with criminal justice reform goals that voters once supported.

This initiative is Proposition 47This is a measure approved by voters a decade ago that reduces penalties for some crimes in order to reduce the state's prison population and give nonviolent offenders a greater chance of rehabilitation and freedom.

Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, a nonpartisan study of public opinion in California, said the “high profile” of retail thefts caught on camera or witnessed by local voters may be why more than twice as many voters say they support Proposition 36 as those who do not.

“For voters, what they're seeing is outrageous, and they're associating that with the approval of Proposition 47,” DiCamillo said.

Becky Warren, a spokeswoman for the Yes Proposition 36 campaign, said the poll “reveals that Californians want real solutions to our homelessness and drug crisis” and that the measure would ensure “repeat offenders are held accountable and punished.”

Supporters of the Republican-backed bill It has the support of some Democrats, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed. While some see it as a solution to some crime, opponents say it will increase the state's prison population and be expensive.

Newsom and the Democrats Counterbalancing Proposal A bill was introduced this summer that would address crimes like shoplifting with lighter penalties than the prosecutor-led Proposition 36. But the bill Suddenly abandoned The governor took the step last month amid chaotic negotiations in the Legislature.

Anthony York, a former spokesman for Governor Newsom and now a spokesman for the No Proposition 36 campaign, said he is confident voters will change their minds as Election Day approaches and they better understand the nuances of the proposition.

“This is a return of the War on Drugs, re-criminalizing drug possession and wasting billions of dollars on prisons and jails with no way to pay for them,” York said. “Quality of life issues are obviously important — people want and should feel safe in their communities — but they also don't want bad policies that will ruin their lives and set them back.”

Voters also support Proposition 32 The poll found that 52% of people support raising California's minimum wage to $18 an hour from the current $16, while 34% oppose it. The rest of the voters were undecided.

This measure: Joe Samberg A wealthy Los Angeles investor and anti-poverty activist, he helped unions win higher wages across industries. $25/hour Medical professionals and $20 per hour For fast food restaurant employees.

Some cities, including West Hollywood and Berkeley, already pay more than $18 an hour, above the state minimum. Supporters of the bill say it would make wages more uniform across the state, but business groups oppose it, fearing it could put already financially struggling companies out of business.

On Proposition 33, The bill could expand rent control, but 40% of voters say they support it, while 34% oppose it. The bill would give California local governments more power to regulate rents and repeal a law that bars local governments from capping the prices of some properties.

The bill is sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a Los Angeles nonprofit that has supported similar rent control efforts in the past, but is opposed by the real estate industry, which warns that the measure could encourage developers to build less housing, worsening California's housing crisis.

10 Measures That total will appear on the November ballot. DiCamillo said the significance of the presidential election could lead to a trickle of political excitement that could bring record attention to proposals that could significantly change California policy.

“I expect a large turnout, and that usually benefits issues lower on the ballot,” he said.

Times reporters Annabel Sosa and Andrew Khoury contributed to this report.