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. 158 - May 19, 2023

State Politics

• CalMatters looks at Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised budget, released as the state faces a modest budget deficit, and amidst ongoing battles with legislators pushing back on spending cuts against climate and public transportation measures.

• California Senator Dianne Feinstein has returned to the Senate after a lengthy absence due to health issues, but there are still many unanswered questions about her ability to serve out her term, and what would happen if she couldn’t.

City Politics

• The Los Angeles budget process is nearing an end, as this Thursday the LA City Council voted to finalize amendments made to Mayor Karen Bass’ original proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. A floor motion by councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martinez and Eunisses Hernandez to force a vote to strip a police helicopter from the budget and spend the funds on electrifying city buses failed on a 6–8 vote. Other amendments to Bass’ original budget, including the addition of $16 million to unarmed alternatives to police, were adopted after being heard last week in the Budget and Finance Committee. For the first time in years, this budget includes a year-over-year decrease in budgeted LAPD officers (largely due to LAPD’s inability to hire new recruits). However, the budget also includes a hiring incentive package for LAPD recruitment. The process also featured a battle between Bass and budget committee chair Bob Blumenfield regarding council oversight of the mayor’s $250 million Inside Safe program, part of the massive investment of over $1 billion in homelessness and housing. On the amended budget, Councilmember Soto-Martinez voted “yes,” citing the progress made compared with last year’s budget, while Councilmember Hernandez was a lone “no” vote, arguing that the budget still overfunds policing at the expense of unarmed alternatives and other necessary constituent services. The budget will return in one week for a final vote after the city’s administrative offices are able to tabulate and finalize the amendments.

• Monday, May 22, at 4 PM, the Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform will hold its next scheduled meeting to hear from the public on potential changes to the city charter, including city council expansion. Once again, public comment will only be heard in person.

Labor

• The board of SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 media professionals, including most performers, has unanimously called for a strike authorization vote, which would enable the board to call for a strike if upcoming contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are unproductive. The guild’s demands parallel in many ways those of currently striking WGA writers. Sign up for strike updates from DSA-LA Hollywood Labor here.

• Dancers at Star Garden Topless Dive Bar voted unanimously to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association! The newly formed union was officially certified on Thursday, making it the first successful unionization effort by strippers since the 1990s.

Housing Rights

• Residents of an encampment on Jasmine Avenue were able to draw attention to a planned CARE+ sweep, thanks to a widely seen letter from the community explaining why the displacement would be harmful. However, the sweep proceeded as scheduled.
  
  
• Residents of the Aetna Bridge Home have received letters threatening them with expulsion from the program if they maintain tents outside the facility, part of a pattern of invasive requirements at this shelter.

Police Violence and Community Resistance

• The Inspector General has sent letters to 35 deputies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, asking them to provide photos of their legs, in order to identify tattooed members of the Bandito and Executioner deputy gangs.

Incarceration

• Los Angeles will temporarily return to a system of zero-cash bail for nonviolent crimes, following a superior court injunction. The ruling resulted from a lawsuit filed last November on behalf of several people who were jailed while awaiting trial because they couldn’t afford bail. A similar policy was successfully tried as a response to COVID-19 but was rolled back.

Environmental Justice

• ​​Cargo ships idling and other industry activities at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach spew more smog-forming and planet-heating pollution in one day than the 6 million cars on Southern California roads, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

• More on climate funding in Newsom’s updated state budget: $6 billion in cuts were kept in place, taken from EV transition, water supply cleanup, and decarbonization programs. The good news, however, is that there are no further cuts planned, which would leave in place a five-year plan to spend $48 billion on climate initiatives.