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. 105 - April 15, 2022
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- In March, workers at a Starbucks location in Little Tokyo became the latest to announce their intent to unionize. This Saturday, DSA-LA Labor Committee and Central Branch are rallying members to show up in support.
- Two weeks after voting to authorize a strike, Southern California members of United Food and Commercial Workers have voted to authorize a new contract with Kroger and Albertsons. The new contract wins workers at these stores the largest wages they’ve seen in decades, and is more than double what the chains were offering before the strike vote.
- The assistant chief counsel for California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing resigned in protest this week, alleging that Governor Newsom’s office had improperly interfered with a discrimination suit against Activision Blizzard Inc.
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Police Violence and Community Resistance
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- A study commissioned by the Board of Supervisors indicates that the county policy of zero-dollar cash bail, instituted as a pandemic measure, has not had any impact on crime rates, and, per Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, may “safely remain in place.” Knock LA covers.
- Citing poor recruitment numbers, Los Angeles Police Commissioner Michel Moore has floated the idea of officially requesting landlords provide free or subsidized apartments to cadets.
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- Pacific Gas & Electric has agreed to pay more than $55 million to avoid criminal prosecution for last year's Dixie Fire and the 2019 Kincade Fire.
- Two years ago, Governor Newsom launched the California Vegetation Treatment Program to fast-track wildfire mitigation efforts. CapRadio investigates the reasons that program hasn't yet been able to complete a single project.
- California’s Air Resources Board, the state’s clean-air regulators, unveiled a proposal requiring a ramp-up in sales of zero-emission cars, culminating in a ban on new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. If adopted, the regulations would be the first in the world and could pave the way for nationwide standards.
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