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. 192 - February 16, 2024

State Politics

• The deadline to introduce new bills in the state legislature passed this week. CalMatters has a partial roundup of what’s being considered.

• Candidates for the California Senate seat previously held by Dianne Feinstein met on Wednesday, for one final debate before primary voting ends. Recap here.

City Politics

• Capital & Main has continued coverage of the campaign contributions made by Douglas Emmett Inc. In 2022, Douglas Emmett Inc. spent $1.1 million backing CD11 candidate Traci Park, currently the councilmember who represents the tenants of Barrington Plaza, where Douglas Emmett is pushing a massive eviction of questionable legality. This cycle, they have spent $400,000 backing the opponent of Nithya Raman. Raman spoke about these issues, and the rest of her platform, on former CD11 councilmember Mike Bonin’s podcast, What’s Next Los Angeles.

Transportation

• Metro Board voted to approve the Environmental Impact Report on billionaire Frank McCourt’s proposal to build an aerial gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. The board also passed a motion authored by county supervisor Hilda Solis, making the project beholden to a 27-point community benefits agreement. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez spoke for many opponents of the project when she asked Metro not to support a project that “needs more than 30 checks and balances to make it palatable.” The proposal will still need to pass through several more levels of approval to proceed.

Labor

• On March 4, IATSE and the Hollywood Basic Crafts coalition, which together represent tens of thousands of crew workers in the entertainment industry, will begin joint negotiations on their shared pension and health plans with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). It is the first such joint negotiation since 1984. In 2023, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA jointly struck against the AMPTP. In 2020, IATSE members voted to authorize a strike against the AMPTP before approving a tentative agreement. DSA-LA is organizing members to show up to support Hollywood workers at a pre-negotiation rally on March 3. Check here for more info!

• With 76% of voting members in support, the California Faculty association voted to approve a tentative contract agreement with the management of the California State University system. The agreement was reached following day one of a strike by union members in January. Though the agreement was approved by a significant margin, within the union there was some disappointment with the terms.

• Student workers within the same CSU system have voted overwhelmingly to unionize. The 20,000 student workers will now join CSUEU/SEIU Local 2579, and become the largest undergraduate student worker union in the country. Quite a week!

Climate

• After another week of precipitation in California, the Los Angeles Times reports encouraging news about the state’s snow drought, while emphasizing the need to improve infrastructure to retain stormwater. Meanwhile in Southern California, the rain has only exacerbated conditions along the rail corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego.