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. 114 - June 24, 2022
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- This morning, the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in a 6–3 ruling ruling. Though it is not clear how this decision will impact California law, which includes some of the country’s strongest protections of abortion access, Californians will demand that reproductive freedom be maintained and expanded nationwide. DSA-LA’s statement here.
- In Los Angeles, a planned protest at Pershing Square has brought to mind the police-instigated violence and kettling of protesters that occurred at the same location when the draft of this decision was leaked.
- Also this week, a separate Supreme Court ruling struck down laws in New York which require that applicants demonstrate a “special need” before being issued a concealed carry permit to carry a firearm outside the home. This ruling is likely to impact similar laws in California.
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- Eunisses Hernandez has declared victory in her campaign for City Council! Though incumbent Gil Cedillo has not yet conceded, the estimated number of all uncounted ballots would not be enough to overcome his deficit.
- With mail-in ballots leaning so far left, the Huffington Post was early to acknowledge that the reflexive media narrative had jumped the gun, under the headline “As Votes Role In, It Suddenly Doesn’t Seem Like Californians Rejected Criminal Justice Reformers.”
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- The Homelessness and Poverty Committee voted 3–1 (with Councilmember Nithya Raman opposed) to advance a further revision to 41.18 that would create an automatic ban on sitting, lying, or sleeping within 500 feet of any school or daycare center in Los Angeles. The new anti-encampment zones will not be marked with signage; people will simply be expected to be aware of the new revision to the municipal code.
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- An amendment to the state Constitution that would have prohibited involuntary servitude in all California prisons fell seven votes short of passing in the state senate, and so will not appear before voters on ballots this November.
- Last March, a report from county-level workgroup dedicated to planning the closure of the decrepit Men’s Central Jail concluded that, with a minimum additional 3,600 additional mental health treatment beds, enough inmates could be safely diverted away from the prison system to close the jail within two years. Although programs already exist that could scale up to add that many beds, the county has yet to commit the necessary funding, including in the currently proposed budget for the next fiscal year. A rally this week led by JusticeLA and other activist groups demanded a more urgent response.
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- High Country News spoke with residents of the Wilmington area of Los Angeles about the day-to-day realities of living surrounded by multiple active oil fields.
- The LA Times reports that regulations curbing water usage have been effective since their introduction on June 1.
- Hearings were held this week to discuss the California Air Resource Board’s five year scoping plan for reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
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