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. 193 - March 1, 2024

State Politics

• In the Michigan Democratic primary, the number of voters who selected ‘uncommitted’  (to protest President Biden’s support for the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza) exceeded movement goals. However, in California, primary ballots do not have an ‘uncommitted’ option. As CalMatters reports, California voters who want to send the same message are instead being asked to fill out a Democratic party primary ballot and leave the presidential vote blank.

City Politics

• Election day is this coming Tuesday! If you have yet to vote, the DSA-LA election guide is here to help. DSA-LA will also be hosting an election night party at Audio Graph Brewing Company in downtown LA on Tuesday night.

• The activist coalition UnrigLA conducted a good governance survey of candidates for LA City Council on topics ranging from council expansion to ethics charter reform. The responses (from those candidates who did respond) can be found here.

• LAist breaks down the staggering $1 million being spent by the Los Angeles Police Protective League and business groups to reelect incumbent CD12 Councilmember John Lee, who is being investigated for ethics violations.

• Controller Kenneth Mejia's office has published a report contextualizing the $3.8 million the city has spent to prevent graffiti art on the unfinished and abandoned Oceanwide Plaza building in Downtown LA.

Housing

• In the context of the long-overdue city report back on the efficacy of LAMC 41.18 code revisions, the LA Community Action Network conducted its own community survey of unhoused people who had experienced sweeps. A majority of responders said that they had had belongings confiscated and nearly 40% said they had not been offered shelter. Their report can be read here. Editor’s note: the city's report on 41.18 was in fact obtained late this evening by LAist; per their reporting it reveals the failures of the anti-encampment law and was kept from the public. You can read about that developing story here.

Labor

• In the wake of last year’s strikes by WGA and SAG, unions representing Hollywood’s crew workers are preparing to negotiate a new contract with the AMPTP. They’re launching their negotiations with a rally on Sunday.

Transportation

• More fact-checking from StreetsblogLA demonstrates how the report authored by the city’s Chief Administrative Officer drastically overstates the costs of implementing safe streets Measure HLA by including nearly $2 billion of unrelated costs.

• A return episode of LA Podcast recaps the “deeply unserious” proposal to build a privately-owned gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. The episode discusses a recent NOlympics LA essay that critiques so-called “Community Benefits Agreements,” such as those proposed for the gondola project.