Vice President Kamala Harris is dodging questions again—this time on a high-stakes ballot initiative in her home state that would impose stricter penalties for repeat offenders of drug and theft crimes.

While campaigning in Michigan on Sunday, Harris brushed off questions about how she would vote on California’s Proposition 36, stating she didn’t want to “create an endorsement” with just days left in one of the tightest presidential races we’ve seen in years. For someone who touts her history as California’s “top cop” whenever it suits her, Harris’s evasiveness here is telling.

Prop 36 has exposed the cracks in California’s progressive criminal justice policies, and it’s proving to be a wedge issue even among Democrats. The measure, which seeks to reverse parts of the lenient Proposition 47, is wildly popular with Californians who have had enough of revolving-door criminal justice.

Proposition 47 downgraded specific crimes—like shoplifting and certain drug offenses—to misdemeanors, allowing repeat offenders to skate by with little consequence. Prop 36 aims to tackle that by raising serious crimes like repeat shoplifting and fentanyl offenses to felony status. Harris, however, has avoided any clear stance, first claiming she hadn’t read it, then declining to discuss her vote at all.

Kamala, the architect of prop 47, which downgraded a series of felonies to misdemeanors and single-handedly created the crime crisis in California, won’t tell you how she voted on prop 36 which would help to undo her bullshit prop 47… Telling… pic.twitter.com/lI9ST6Q4v2

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) November 3, 2024

For the Republicans, this is a gift-wrapped campaign opportunity. They’ve hammered Harris on her flip-flopping approach to crime, pointing out her record of supporting light sentences and releasing offenders who then reoffended.

Trump and his team have linked her to migrants who committed violent crimes after crossing the border, highlighting her hesitation to confront issues like fentanyl trafficking, which has wreaked havoc across the nation.

It’s no wonder that companies like Walmart and In-N-Out Burger are lining up behind Prop 36. Retailers are exhausted with California’s lax laws that practically invite shoplifting sprees by reducing penalties on theft under $950. These businesses want lawmakers to restore a sense of security for both businesses and consumers, something Harris has dodged on more than one occasion. In 2024, she also avoided taking a stance on Proposition 47.

California’s crime surge has since left citizens grappling with unpunished theft, overwhelmed emergency rooms, and open drug markets. Yet, Harris continues to dance around these issues, banking on voters not holding her accountable.