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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. 75 - September 3, 2021
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- A law in Texas banning abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy has gone into effect, effectively banning abortion throughout the state. The law is not enforced by the state, but allows any citizen to sue any abortion provider within Texas. This bizarre procedural mechanism is intended to bypass Roe v. Wade, and the Supreme Court has already voted not to block this legislation. You can find an abortion fund to donate to or access here.
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- Federal unemployment benefits are set to expire this Labor Day weekend. The Biden administration suggested states step in to fill the gap, but California appears unlikely to do so, with the current legislative session ending in a week.
- Following a week of sustained activist pressure led by the Let Us Live Coalition, SB 2 — the Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act — has passed through the State Assembly and will head to the governor’s desk. SB 2 allows law enforcement officers found guilty of misconduct to be barred from law enforcement jobs across the state. California was one of only four states without such a law.
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- The Los Angeles City Council voted 13–1 to draft an emergency ordinance that would prohibit protest within 300 feet of a target’s home. The motion was introduced by Councilmember Nury Martinez after anti-vaccine protesters rallied in front of the councilmember’s house. Despite that pretext, and the frequent invocation of January 6, debate on the council floor repeatedly blurred the line between right-wing threats of violence and on-line criticism from groups like DSA and Street Watch. Councilmember Nithya Raman cast the only dissenting vote.
- A motion to endorse AB 1400, a state bill that would institute “comprehensive universal single-payer health care” across California, has passed unanimously through the Los Angeles City Council. It was buoyed by the coordinated vocal support of a neighborhood council system that a massive organizational effort (led in large part by DSA-LA) has pulled to the left.
- A ruling prohibiting the city of Los Angeles from destroying the “bulky items” belonging to people experiencing homelessness has been upheld on appeal.
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- California is heavily leveraged into the Colorado River water system, which is facing the risk of catastrophic collapse. ProPublica takes a systematic look at the difficult decisions California will soon face, as the drought imposes limits on what crops can be grown, and perhaps where people can live.
- Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the state’s 2014 drought, Californians approved spending on infrastructure to store water. But most of these projects have stalled.
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