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. 133 - November 4, 2022

State Politics

• On Thursday, Governor Newsom took the surprising step of blanket denying all of the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention grants, which are set aside for municipalities, on the grounds that no city had developed an ambitious enough plan to reduce houselessness. Newsom called for a mid-November meeting of local leaders to discuss “new strategies” before further grant money would be disbursed.

City Politics

• Large numbers of protesters continue to disrupt Los Angeles City Council meetings, demanding the resignation of Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León. The council this week has responded by aggressively removing protesters from meetings, and has discussed the possibility of preventing members of the public who have been removed from attending subsequent meetings.

• The special election to fill former council president Nury Martinez’s seat in District 6 has been set for April 23.

• In-person voting for the California midterm election began on Saturday and will continue through Election Day. Same day voter registration is possible at all voting centers — find the one nearest you, here. DSA-LA voter guide here.

Housing Rights

• Curbed published an interview with state Assemblymember Matt Haney, who has formed the California Legislature’s first renters' caucus. They’ve started with three members, including DSA member Alex Lee and Los Angeles’ Isaac Bryant.

Police Violence and Community Resistance

• The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to pay $47.6 million to settle several lawsuits alleging misconduct by sheriff’s deputies. This includes a payment of $8 million to the family of Andrés Guardado.

• An LAPD captain was revealed to have tipped off executives at CBS about sexual assault charges made against former CBS president Les Moonves, mere hours after the charges were first filed in 2018, and to have gone on to leak more information as the investigation proceeded.

Transportation

• Streetsblog LA takes a granular look at the ways incoming councilmember Eunisses Hernandez can use the power of the office to transform her district to the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation users.

Environmental Justice

• The California Air Resources Board met Thursday and agreed to move forward with plans to mandate a transition to zero-emission trucks, shuttle buses, and certain other buses beginning in 2024. A final decision on this Advanced Clean Fleet regulation will occur in the spring of 2023.

• According to a new study, Los Angeles County’s “hundred-year” flood risk is far greater than what the federal government currently estimates. Grist explains how and why Black communities face a disproportionate risk if floods like the ones that have devastated other American cities happen here.