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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. 73 - August 20, 2021
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- Polling in the Gavin Newsom recall election is extremely tight among likely voters. Should Newsom lose what looks like a coin flip, his replacement would likely be a far-right Republican (who might even have a chance to flip the Senate if they have the opportunity to appoint a replacement to Senator Dianne Feinstein). A lawsuit is challenging the legality of the entire recall structure. Here’s how to vote.
- Knock LA rounds up some criminal justice reform bills that have a chance to progress in the current session of the state legislature. Streetsblog California does the same for some pedestrian safety bills. Both articles suggest how the public can help support these bills across the finish line.
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- Los Angeles magazine checks back in on the fundraising battle in several 2022 Los Angeles City Council elections. (Ctrl+F “real estate.”) Also, surprisingly, Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas announces he does not plan to run for mayor.
- Knock LA tracks the special access granted by several city councilmembers to billionaire Jeffrey Katzenberg, who used this access to advocate for more criminalization of homelessness in the immediate run-up to the council’s approval of the 41.18 revision.
- The Budget Advocates, an arcane working group buried deep within the city’s neighborhood council system, will have its annual meeting Saturday morning to discuss with Angelenos how they would like the group to use its access to advocate for changes in the city’s budgeting process. Open to the public, RSVP here.
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New feature, focusing on a single locality outside of Los Angeles for a few weeks. (Introduced just in time for the Pasadena City Council to go on hiatus.) If you’d like to write about your city, unincorporated area, or census-designated place in the LA area, please let us know! (at [email protected])
- The Pasadena City Council voted 6–1 (with one absence) to reject the default-setting restrictions on campaign donations set by state law and instead enforce no limits on the donations Pasadena candidates for office are allowed to accept.
- August 15 marked one year since the killing of Anthony McClain by Pasadena Police. Pasadenans gathered in La Pintoresca Park to renew calls for justice — near where McClain was shot in the back while fleeing a traffic stop. Investigations into the shooting have dragged on for a year. An 11-person police oversight board, created in the aftermath, will complete its training in two weeks.
- The Pasadena Tenant Justice Coalition is launching a campaign to place a charter amendment on the 2022 ballot that would impose permanent rent control and just-cause eviction protections throughout Pasadena. The launch rally will feature guest speakers including Culver City Vice Mayor Daniel Lee and Tenants Together Program Director Deepa Varma. Rally is this Saturday, details here!
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