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. 129 - October 7, 2022

State Politics

• Starting today, the state is set to begin depositing the first round of gas rebate payments in Californians’ bank accounts. California taxpayers will receive between $200 and $1,050, though the most vulnerable may not see any relief at all. Determine how, when, and how much you may receive here.
  

• From CalMatters, a final tally of what state bills have passed this legislative session, including many that will protect abortion access. Streetsblog Cal looks at just the transportation bills.

City Politics

• The DSA-LA voter guide is here! Ballots are already being mailed. Vote early!

Housing Rights

• As expected, but sadly, Los Angeles has voted to suspend the eviction protections implemented at the beginning of the pandemic. Evictions can resume beginning on January 31 of next year. The eviction moratorium is widely credited for the slowed increase in unhoused people in Los Angeles County revealed in the last unhoused census. Though an attempt was made to package the return of evictions with additional tenant protections, this largely amounted to a series of “report-backs” on potential new protections. The only new tenant protection to actually be implemented was an expansion of “just cause” protections to all Los Angeles tenants, spearheaded by Councilmember Nithya Raman.

• The ruling in Martin v. Boise prevents municipalities from banning people sleeping outside if there is not an adequate shelter system. Many cities have attempted to find loopholes, and so this week the ruling was expanded to also guarantee the right to use bedding materials, which the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, had attempted to prohibit.

• The New Yorker draws attention to the terrible conditions at a Service Support Area in the city of San Rafael, and the stories Californians tell themselves about the failure of our cities to guarantee housing.

Transportation

• The K Line opened to the public today! Metro’s seventh rail line will initially serve seven new stations between Expo/Crenshaw and Westchester/Veterans. As part of the celebration, rides will be free across the entire Metro bus, rail, and bike-share system through the end of service on Sunday, October 9.

• The LA Times spoke with Damien Goodmon of the Crenshaw Subway Coalition, as well as other community members from along the K Line corridor, about how the new line will be “a blessing and a curse” due to the likelihood of accelerated gentrification in the area.

• Californians will soon be able to cross the street outside a formal intersection without being ticketed, as long as there is “no immediate danger of a collision.” After vetoing a bill fully decriminalizing all safe street-crossing last year, Governor Newsom has now signed AB 2147, which leaves the law in place but prohibits police officers from issuing citations.

Labor

• Strippers at Star Garden Topless Dive Bar have been attempting to unionize, and have now been assigned an election date by the National Labor Relations Board. Ballots will be mailed on October 14 and counted on November 7!