The Thorn West is a state and local news roundup compiled by members of DSA-LA. Our goal is to provide a weekly update on the latest developments in state and local politics, and to track the issues that are most important to our membership.

Issue No. 157 - May 12, 2023

State Politics

• The California Reparations Task Force released a historic report this week, which proposed a method of calculating how much the state owes to Black Californians for harms including over-policing and housing discrimination. In his response, Governor Gavin Newsom was noncommittal on support for reparations in the form of cash payments. The Task Force is due to complete work in July.

City Politics

• A coalition of activist groups is advocating for implementing a democracy vouchers program in Los Angeles. Vouchers would be issued to all Angelenos regardless of income; once pledged to a candidate for office, they could be redeemed for campaign funding. A motion to study democracy vouchers was introduced by councilmembers Nithya Raman, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson this past March.

• Kevin de León’s presence at Los Angeles City Hall took another step toward normalization, as last Friday the disgraced councilmember delivered a presentation on Cinco de Mayo. Many city councilmembers left the floor as he spoke. A protester was arrested following the provoked public outcry.

Labor

• The Writers Guild of America strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is ongoing. For schedules and locations of picket lines, see here. DSA-LA and several DSA-LA electeds will be at the Warner Brothers picket line on Monday. This week President Biden expressed support for a “fair deal” for writers, after both Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom called for “both sides” to make concessions. Law enforcement has also expressed anti-solidarity, warning the public against “excessive honking” in support of striking workers.

Housing Rights

• The Ellis Act, a state law which allows landlords to evict tenants without cause provided the units are taken off the market, is being used to evict hundreds of tenants from Barrington Plaza in West LA — one of the largest ever Ellis evictions.

• A new policy paper looks at the way a municipal public bank in Los Angeles could be used to bolster the city’s affordable housing stock.

Transportation

• A report from Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) and the Alliance for Community Transit (ACT-LA) makes the case for universal fareless public transit across Los Angeles.

Environmental Justice

• After widespread pushback from residents of the San Joaquin Valley, Governor Newsom has restored $40 million in funding for floodplain restoration. An El Niño weather pattern is widely predicted for the upcoming year; this would put the area at an increased risk of flooding.

• In a 5 – 4 decision, the US Supreme Court narrowly sided with California voters, who voted in 2018 to ban the sale of meat and egg products from farms that did not meet animal welfare standards.