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. 181 - November 3, 2023

State Politics

• Governor Gavin Newsom recently concluded a week of international travel, with stops in China, to discuss climate policy, and Israel. Speculation persists that the trip is intended as a springboard for Newsom to attain a national profile, and Politico reports he brought a renowned photojournalist to document his trip.

City Politics

• Protests demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Palestinian liberation, continue to regularly draw many thousands of people in Los Angeles, amid numerous signs that the pressure is working.

• State Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo was arrested today for driving under the influence. Carrillo is running for the city council seat currently occupied by Kevin de León in CD 14. DSA-LA has endorsed Ysabel Jurado in this race.

• DSA-LA is conducting its second round of political endorsements, and will consider endorsing two candidates for the LAUSD School Board: Kahllid Al-Alim in Board District 1, and Karla Griego in BD5. Members in good standing can read candidate questionnaires on the member forum, and there will be a candidate forum this Sunday at 12pm: RSVP here to attend.

Incarceration

• LA Public Press examines the first few months since revisions to the pre-arraignment release protocols made by the LA Superior Court have effectively eliminated bail requirements for those charged with anything other than serious violent crimes. Though the implementation is still recent, crime statistics indicate that “zero cash bail” has not caused any increase in crime.

• [Content warning: suicide, violence] Also in LA Public Press, an account of reports that an inmate committed suicide in Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) while guards failed to provide the required welfare checks. This week the assistant sheriff in charge of the jail was forced to acknowledge to an oversight commission that the jail’s deputies are frequently just watching movies. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez again called for the MCJ to be closed, calling it “a dungeon.” There have been 39 deaths in LA County jails this year.

Housing Rights

• This week, the LA City Council Housing and Homelessness Committee heard a proposal from Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez to delay a massive 7%–9% rent increase in Los Angeles’ rent-controlled units scheduled for February 1 by six months. While a crowd of landlords repeatedly disrupted the meeting, the motion was amended by Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Marqueece Harris-Dawson and replaced with a “compromise” measure that lowered the allowable increase to 4%–6%. With Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and John Lee, both of whom were heavily supported by the landlord lobby in their election campaigns, firmly against any reduction, the measure passed 3–2 and will now head to the full city council.

• Unite Here Local 11 members had organized to place a measure on the 2024 ballot that would compel hotels with empty rooms to make rooms available for use as interim shelter. After negotiations with Council President Paul Krekorian the union has now agreed to revise the measure to make hotel participation voluntary, in exchange for the passage of a broad package of regulations around the development of new hotels.

Labor

• Ninety-five percent of the members of the California Faculty Association, which represents workers at the 23 universities in the California State University system, voted in favor of a strike authorization if their current contract demands are not met. Demands include wage increases and more manageable workloads.

Transportation

• City politicians are gearing up to delay any deployment of robotaxis on Los Angeles streets, after disastrous rollouts of the program in San Francisco.

• Last weekend, a six-mile stretch of the 110 Freeway was closed from 7am to 11am for Arroyofest, and the freeway was instead open to cyclists, skaters, and pedestrians. Streetsblog LA has coverage and photos from the event.