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. 106 - April 29, 2022
|
- Nice surprise: the Los Angeles Times editorial board endorsed Kenneth Mejia for Los Angeles city controller, citing the work he has already accomplished with the Mejia campaign to make the city’s budget transparent.
- Councilmember Nithya Raman endorsed Hugo Soto-Martínez for councilmember in District 13. She also endorsed Karen Bass for mayor, drawing criticism for ignoring candidates running as progressives in favor of the “lesser of two evils” candidate.
|
Police Violence and Community Resistance
|
- Sheriff Alex Villanueva became a national story after an unhinged press conference on Tuesday, during which he threatened to investigate Los Angeles Times reporter Alene Tchekmedyian for reporting on footage, leaked by a whistleblower, of a sheriff’s deputy abusing an inmate. Villanueva is facing several lawsuits connected to the incident, which allege that he saw the video and directed attempts to cover it up.
- The state auditor investigated the social media profiles of officers with five law enforcement departments across the state — including the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department — and found a pattern of racial and ethnic bias. Report here.
|
- The Metro Board has approved the Bus Rapid Transit Corridor between North Hollywood and Pasadena. Traffic lanes will be transformed to bus-only along much of the route. The project now heads into the design stage. More detail on implementation here.
- A new plan from Democrats in the state Senate proposes $200 rebates to all Californians, regardless of car ownership. CalMatters catalogs the numerous proposals to address rising gas prices, none of which seem particularly close to implementation.
|
- The Metropolitan Water District’s board voted unanimously today to require six major water providers and the dozens of cities and local districts they supply to impose one of two options: limit residents to outdoor watering once a week or reduce total water use below a certain target.
- On Thursday, Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, opened an investigation into the role oil and gas companies played in promoting the idea that plastics could be recycled in an effort to manipulate the public to buy more of it.
|
|
