After a thin margin that surprised everyone and some last-minute ethical questions surrounding Gov. Newsom's push to ensure victory, we finally have the CA Prop 1 vote results.
As KNX News' Margaret Carrero reports, now that the measure has passed, Governor Newsom and other leaders are setting their sights on putting it into practice.
The measure, among other things, allows the state to borrow close to $6.4 billion to build housing and beds for mental health and addiction treatment.
During a press conference in downtown L.A. on Thursday, Governor Newsom said, "The last time you had a bond in this related effort, it took over two years for the money to start going up. We're going to start putting out notices for funding availability in just a matter of months. The first one come out in October, that's unprecedented in California history."
He was joined by many local leaders, including president of the California Medical Association, Dr. Tanya Spiros.
"It is heartbreaking to witness Children fall through the cracks of our system of care, develop substance use disorders, and risk homelessness or eventual overdose. Prop 1 will provide structure and funding for critical early diagnosis and wraparound programs to give children the support they need to get in front of these issues," said Dr. Spiros.
She says Prop 1 will also ensure that there's funding to train and educate more mental health professionals.
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However, opponents of the proposition have said that it will threaten programs that keep people from becoming homeless in the first place and is akin to robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Last week, the 'No on Prop 1' campaign inexplicably conceded, then withdrew that concession earlier this week as 'no' votes unexpectedly picked up, but it turned out not to be enough in the end.
Newsom must be feeling a sense of relief because many experts said that had the measure failed, it would have been a bad look for the governor.
Cal Matters political analyst Dan Walters told KNX News that if the proposition were to fail, it would be quite a political embarrassment for Newsom.
"I mean, they've spent, I don't know, $12 or $13 million to pass this thing. The opposition, which basically just exists on paper, has no campaign at all," said Walters.
According to Walters, "This is supposed to be his signal accomplishment as his governorship begins to wind down and it's something he's been talking about for a long time. He devoted his entire State of the State address to this subject a couple of years ago. So, yeah, it would be tremendously embarrassing."
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