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. 18 - July 10, 2020

Coronavirus: Resurgence and Response

Coronavirus tests, once available to all who requested them in Los Angeles. But testing sites are now being overwhelmed by the number of requests in the county. As the infection rate rises, tests at many facilities are being restricted to those who are feeling symptoms; requests now must be made days in advance. City council candidate Nithya Raman has criticized Mayor Eric Garcetti and city leadership for abandoning the cautious approach they took at the start of the pandemic and for rushing too quickly into reopening businesses.

The Emergency Renters Relief Program will start taking applications on July 13. The program sets aside $103 million — mostly from federal stimulus funds — to cover up to $1,000 a month per household, in the form of direct payments to landlords. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and demonstrate an economic or health impact from COVID-19. As council president Nury Martinez acknowledged, “demand will be high,” and the current model of tenant relief will require billions more in federal aid. The deadline to apply is July 17.

The Los Angeles teachers union is advocating that school campuses remain closed for the upcoming fall semester and that distance learning continue. This is not in line with the current position of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has said that schools should be available for in-person learning “to the greatest extent possible.” Meanwhile, the burdens that distance learning places on working families are explored here and elsewhere.

California legislators will not return to the capitol next week, due to concerns over coronavirus. Several staffers and lawmakers have tested positive.

Farm workers are continuing to protest in light of employees testing positive for coronavirus. According to United Farm Workers, 78 farm laborers employed by Primex Farms in Wasco, CA, have been infected with the Coronavirus. Primex released a statement acknowledging positive cases and closed their work location for about two weeks. Primex Farms has not confirmed whether workers would be paid for hours lost during the shutdown.

Lawmakers joined activists in a press conference outside of San Quentin State Prison to urge Gov. Newsom to release thousands of incarcerated people from state prisons as coronavirus continues to surge throughout the prison system. Prison transfers have exacerbated the spread of the virus, with a current total of 31 deaths in California state prisons.

Police Violence

An independent autopsy requested by the family of Andres Guardado has found that the 18-year-old was shot five times in the back by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. The sheriff’s department had previously placed a “security hold” on the report from the LA County coroner’s office; however, today the coroner’s office released the document, which also determined that the cause of death was five fatal gunshot wounds in the back.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to take the next step in shutting down Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles. The jail, which is run by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, has long been criticized for its inhumane conditions. Its closure — without plans for a replacement facility — was framed by the board as representing a “reduced reliance on incarceration.”

The families of Sean Monterrosa and Erik Salgado have joined in protesting against police brutality in Sacramento. Monterrosa and Salgado were murdered by police in the Bay Area earlier this month, within four days of each other. California’s attorney general has refused to investigate Monterrosa’s murder by the police despite a recommendation from the Soleno district attorney.

In the trade unions of the film production industry, there is a growing sentiment in favor of expelling police unions from labor partnerships. Rank-and-file members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Screen Actors Guild have been leading the charge.

Of the 18 million calls to the LAPD logged over the past decade, only 1.4 million — or 8% — were for violent crimes. Nearly half of those calls were officer-initiated calls for perceived violations like traffic stops, which are disproportionately called on Black and Latinx drivers and pedestrians.

Climate

Gov. Newsom’s oil and gas regulatory agency approved 12 new permits this week for fracking in Kern County, which already suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the nation. Newsom has additionally approved drilling permits for more than 1,400 new oil and gas wells. “Approving these permits is especially dangerous now,” Hollin Kretzmann from the Center for Biological Diversity pointed out, as “multiple studies have shown air pollution increases our vulnerability to coronavirus.”

Experts are warning of an above-normal “significant large fire” potential for California. Fires are likely to create even greater risks for contracting COVD-19, due to air pollution. Meanwhile, incarcerated firefighting crews in 12 out of 43 of the state’s prison fire camps are in lockdown due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus through the prison system. The state of California relies on 2,200 incarcerated people to work on fire crews, for wages ranging from $2 to $5 per day plus $1 per hour.

Transportation

The California Transit Association has started a lobbying and ad campaign requesting $3 billion in funding relief from the state for local transit authorities. The CTA warns that such a bailout is necessary to avoid permanent cuts in bus services, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Plans to construct a high-speed electric rail line between Las Vegas and California took another step forward. CalTrans has formally leased right of way adjacent to Interstate 15 to XpressWest, in accordance with plans to build a 170-mile electric passenger rail system running between the Las Vegas Strip and San Bernardino County. While the western terminus of the line is located 90 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, other construction projects may eventually link it to Union Station.

JOIN US & FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

INSTAGRAM // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // YOUTUBE