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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.
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Issue No. 72 - August 13, 2021
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- Los Angeles is closing in on an ordinance that would require proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter many indoor spaces, including bars, restaurants, and gyms. Approval will be delayed at least one more week due to the opposition of Councilmember John Lee preventing unanimous support. An editorial in the LA Times brings up the gaps in the healthcare system that explain why some have been unable to get vaccinated.
- LA City Council unanimously passed a resolution to formally oppose AB 339. Drafted by Assemblymember Alex Lee, AB 339 mandates that certain government meetings continue to be made available to watch on the internet, and that public comment be accepted online and telephonically, as has been done throughout the pandemic. In opposition, councilmembers cited the technical difficulties of hybrid meetings and the uncongenial tone of public comment. AB 339 has already passed through the state Assembly but is still in committee in the state Senate.
- Recently elected Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan was arrested this week on charges of vote rigging. Galvan had defeated Andre Spicer, his challenger in District 2, by a handful of votes.
- The campaign to initiate a recall of George Gascón appears to be falling behind its benchmarks.
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- The recently passed revision to municipal code 41.18 allows the criminalization of homelessness in a broadly defined expanse of Los Angeles. However, every time enforcement is expanded in a certain area a motion must be passed through city council. Though the law does not take effect until September 3, Councilmember Joe Buscaino has already begun the process of identifying areas of enforcement.
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- Streetsblog LA catalogs the multiple successes of the county’s Community Land Trust pilot program. CLTs purchase housing with community interest in mind, and are able to keep it permanently affordable.
- The San Fernando Valley Branch of the NAACP is attempting to jump-start an investigation into whether discrimination motivated Deutche Bank’s rejection of community group Downtown Crenshaw’s offer to purchase the Crenshaw Mall in favor of a lower bid.
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- Jacobin covers the growing discontent with long hours in film production, as workers in that industry struggle to readjust to 60-hour weeks after an extended shutdown.
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- The California Energy Commission voted on Wednesday to make California the first state in the US to pass building codes that make all-electric heating and appliances the default choice for newly built homes. Canary Media explains the next hurdle: refitting the homes that currently run on gas.
- Northern California’s Dixie Fire has now surpassed Oregon’s Bootleg Fire as the biggest active wildfire in the US, and is now the second-biggest in California history. The fire is moving so fast that authorities are having difficulties disseminating up-to-date information.
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