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. 202 - May 10, 2024

State Politics

• Today, Governor Newsom released his draft of the state budget, which would cut $30 billion; the cuts go far beyond the legislature’s recent proposed reductions. The Governor’s budget would cut 10,000 unstaffed positions while delaying or downsizing programs that are yet to be implemented, including housing and climate projects that the Governor previously supported.

City Politics

• Council President Paul Krekorian announced that he will be reinstating City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Curren Price to their committee work. Price is facing felony corruption charges, while De León colluded to rig the city’s redistricting process.

• In the past two weeks at USC and UCLA, administrators unleashed brutal police raids in attempts to quell students’ protests against  their universities’ financial support for the genocide in Gaza. This week, 800 faculty at UCLA called on the university chancellor to resign. At USC, the faculty Academic Senate voted 21–7 to censure their president and provost, but tabled a vote of no confidence.

• This week, the City Council Budget and Finance Committee heard several proposed amendments to the mayor’s budget. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez proposed to fund the salary of newly-hired LAPD officers as needed, instead of the current practice, which is to fully fund that line item up front and allow the LAPD to repurpose the amount left over if recruitment targets aren’t met. Hernandez also proposed cutting $12 million from  LAPD’s vehicle budget. These amendments could counteract millions of dollars in service cuts. The hearings will resume on May 16.

• LA Public Press catches up with the budgeting process of LA County, which is also implementing cuts.

Climate

• Southern California utilities will alter their pricing structures, implementing a high monthly fixed fee while lowering the rate for electricity. Users with lower incomes can apply to have their monthly fee lowered.