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. 107 - May 6, 2022
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- A leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, later authenticated, represents an existential threat to reproductive freedom in the United States. At a rally in front of a Planned Parenthood, Governor Newsom vowed to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution.
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- On Tuesday the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors had already agendized a motion to support AB 1245, approving $20 million in state funding for a pilot program that would endeavor to make the county a “safe haven” for anyone seeking an abortion, regardless of where they live. According to some estimates, if Roe were to be overturned, California would become the nearest abortion provider for over a million Arizonans.
- The news has also renewed focus on mayoral candidate Rick Caruso’s past donations to anti-choice politicians. Though Caruso, who switched from the Republican to Democratic party in advance of his mayoral run, announced his current support for Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood released an open letter calling on him to apologize for his past positions.
- Black Lives Matters – LA co-founder Melina Abdullah was forcibly removed from a mayoral debate held at Cal State LA, where she teaches. Though none of the debate candidates objected to Abdullah being carried out by campus security at the time, Kevin DeLeon and Karen Bass have since joined the chorus condemning Abdullah’s treatment.
- City Hall reopened to the public for the first time since the pandemic began. Courthouse News narrates day one, which concluded with housing activists from Hillside Villa being forcibly removed by police. Though in-person public comment is once again permitted, dial-in public comment has been correspondingly suspended.
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Police Violence and Community Resistance
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- In downtown LA, a spontaneous rally in defense of reproductive freedom was declared an unlawful assembly, following repeated aggression against protesters. Violence was instigated by both the LAPD and the Department of Homeland Security, whose presence at the march has yet to be officially explained.
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- Facing possible electricity shortages, Governor Newsom suggested that the state’s sole remaining nuclear power plant might continue operating beyond a planned closing by 2025.
- Last week, the seven states that rely on the Colorado River, which includes California, agreed to forfeit their water from Lake Powell in order to ensure that the reservoir can still generate hydroelectric power.
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