CalWatchdog Morning Read – November 11

• Parole measure’s success depends on CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
• Issa claims victory with votes still being counted
• Measure to speed up death penalty appeals hasn’t passed yet but is being challenged in court
• Villaraigosa in for 2018 gov. race, Trump presidency may help
• What Trump election means for Obamacare 

Good morning! TGIF. As votes are still being counted and we wait for some of the closest contests to be decided, we can start looking forward as to how some new policies will work.

Proposition 57, which amends the California Constitution to make it easier for some felons to win release from state prison, coasted to victory Tuesday, winning more than 60 percent of the vote in initial statewide tallies and giving Gov. Jerry Brown a triumph on an issue — criminal justice reform — that he sees as crucial to his legacy.

The Brown-orchestrated, well-funded Yes on 57 campaign crushed lightly funded opponents, led by the California District Attorneys’ Association. A ballot measure description that used technical, arcane definitions to say the proposition only applied to “nonviolent” felons made victory close to a sure thing. District attorneys’ argument that the definition included many crimes involving violence, including sexual violence — while factual — got little traction.

But for Proposition 57 to be the policy triumph that Brown envisions, it will require improved performance from a state agency that’s faced frequent criticism from oversight agencies, judges and activists for decades: the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news:

• “Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is claiming victory in his hotly contested re-election bid, but Democratic opponent Doug Applegate says the numbers are too close to call while there are still 1 million ballots left to count in Orange and San Diego counties. The congressional district straddles the two counties’ border,” writes The Orange County Register.

• Prop. 66, which would speed Death Penalty appeals, is leading in the results but hasn’t been called yet. Regardless, opponents are already challenging it. The Los Angeles Times has more.

• “If Antonio Villaraigosa can cut a path to the California governor’s office, for which he announced his candidacy on Thursday, his widest opening may have come in Tuesday’s election of a polar opposite, Donald Trump. California Latinos voted at a higher rate on Tuesday than in previous elections, according to exit polls, turning out in record numbers to oppose the president elect. If they turn out again in 2018, whether because of the gubernatorial race or broader forces of midterm discontent, more than a decade of voting history suggests Villaraigosa will benefit more than most.” Politico has more. 

• The San Jose Mercury News/Kaiser Health News looks at what a Trump presidency means for Obamacare coverage in California. 

Legislature:

• Gone till December.

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

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