Suggestions on stories, topics, or outlets you would like to see covered in The Thorn West? Let us know at [email protected]!
|
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. 77 - September 17, 2021
|
- The attempted recall of Governor Newsom failed, 64% to 36%. It cost the state about $300 million. CalMatters asks: What was the deal with that one poll that said it was going to be close?
- Tentative efforts to change California’s recall rules have been initiated. It’s currently very easy and only takes a handful of people to file a notice of intent to petition to recall an elected official; even when petitioners fail to get a recall on a ballot, the efforts consume bottomless attention from the press.
|
- Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance 13–2 that would ban protesting within 300 feet of private homes. The draft ordinance, which the council requested the city attorney’s office draft two weeks ago, was turned around at abnormal speed. It draws clear inspiration from the recent Texas abortion ban by broadly empowering the public to sue protesters. As noted on Twitter, the ban not only protects the ears of councilmembers from citizens, but also shields landlords from their tenants. A statement from National Lawyers Guild of LA can be found here.
|
Housing and Gentrification
|
- While the city’s motion to revise municipal code 41.18 gives the city expansive new powers to criminalize homelessness, it also provides some restraints by requiring the city to draw up a new “street engagement policy.” On Tuesday, the council unanimously passed this engagement policy. Councilmember Mike Bonin proposed some amendments that will be discussed in the Homelessness & Poverty Committee. A statement from Services Not Sweeps condemned, among other things, the framework of implementing services “only to advance the criminalization policy.”
- The budget committee discussed taking out a loan to purchase Hillside Villa Apartments using eminent domain. After tenants spoke powerfully in favor of the proposal during public comment, most committee members spoke in favor of the proposal. However, after meeting in a 30-minute closed session, they decided to request a 30-day report-back and delay the vote at least a month. Recording of the meeting here.
|
- SB 62, the Garment Worker Protection Act, was passed by the Senate on Friday and now heads to the Governor to be signed. The bill protects garment workers from wage theft by banning “piece-rate” payment, instead mandating an hourly wage. The bill was passed at the eleventh hour of this legislative session only after a social-media pressure campaign from workers, as Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon delayed placing the vote on the docket.
- An unprecedented 56 cargo ships were stuck at anchor or in drift areas off of Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. The bottleneck is a result of COVID-19-related disruptions and holiday-buying surges, paired with a national labor shortage.
|
Police Violence and Community Resisance
|
- At a Monday meeting which excluded both press and community activists, the LAPD acknowledged that they carelessly misjudged the quantity of fireworks that were deliberately detonated in a South Central residential block. At a subsequent community press conference, residents of the homes that were damaged demanded actual accountability, reaffirming community demands for the names of any officers responsible for greenlighting the detonation.
- The overwhelming majority of LAPD officers live outside of the city. Reporting in L.A. Taco looks at the two dozen officers who don’t even live in California.
- Over 2,600 LAPD officers plan to seek religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate for city employees.
|
- Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to phase out oil and gas drilling, and ban new drill sites, in the unincorporated areas of the county — which includes Inglewood Oil Field.
- SB 343, which restricts the usage of the “recyclable” symbol to packaging that is actually recyclable, passed the legislature. Grist covers this bill among other legislation that aims to address shortcomings in California’s recycling and waste management system.
|
|
