ATTENTION SHOPPERS: Gov. Gavin Newsom had a close encounter with political reality — in the checkout line of Target of all places. The governor was out shopping when he was reminded that a) retail theft is rampant and b) people blame him (whether deserved or not). This came out casually, and perhaps inadvertently, in a few idle moments today on Zoom as Newsom was about to lead a news conference with seven mayors to tout Proposition 1 — the measure on the March ballot to restructure mental health services with the goal of helping get more people off the streets and into treatment. That’s when he told what he called “my Target story,” which will resonate with just about anyone who does any shopping in California — as well as with the many critics of criminal justice measures such as the 2014 measure known as Proposition 47. Newsom recalled that he was in the checkout line and spotted a man leaving the store without paying for an item. He asked the store clerk why no one was doing anything and got a provocative answer: The Target employee, apparently unaware of the shopper’s identity, blamed him. “The governor had lowered the threshold” for charging a theft, and, as a result, “there’s no accountability,” the employee said, according to Newsom’s account. “We don't stop them because of the governor,” the employee said. This, as you might expect, riled up Newsom. “I said, ‘That’s just not true.'" He then repeated a familiar talking point that California’s $950 threshold for charging a felony is 10th lowest in the U.S., more stringent than such red states as Texas, Alabama and Mississippi. The Target employee was apparently nonplussed until recognition set in. “She looks at me twice and then she freaks out. She calls everyone over, wants to take photos,” Newsom said. “I'm like, ‘No, I'm not taking a photo. We're having a conversation. Where's your manager? How are you blaming the governor?” Optics aside, this is an important issue in the state right now. Even as violent crime is declining from a pandemic-era spike, concern about retail theft is soaring – with stores routinely locking up even basic staples across the state. Newsom has been facing calls even from fellow Democrats to support changes to Proposition 47, an effort to reduce mass incarceration that reduced some thefts and drug offenses to misdemeanors. Critics of the governor have been just as quick to blame him as the Target employee, and even used his anecdote to further stir the pot. “Newsom was more offended when the store employee blamed him for the crime than the actual crime itself,” the “Conservative War Machine” posted on X. Newsom hasn’t been silent on the issue. Earlier this month, he laid out a property crime package and urged the Legislature to pass new laws to crack down on professional thieves and to expand penalties for large-scale resellers of stolen goods. It’s not clear he meant to talk about it today, though. As he concluded his story to the mayors, the governor said, “I hope all the reporters weren’t on for that.” Target had no immediate comment. IT’S WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check of California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to bfox@politico.com or send a shout on X. DMs are open.
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