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. 137 - December 9, 2022

City Politics

• Kevin de León disrupted today’s Los Angeles City Council meeting, returning to chambers, unannounced, for the first time since the immediate aftermath of leaked recordings on which he made numerous racist comments. Councilmembers Mike Bonin, Nithya Raman, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson walked out in protest, and after a chaotic several minutes, de Leon left. Earlier this week, a petition to recall De León as councilmember in District 14 was cleared to collect signatures.

• A DSA-LA membership vote on the question of whether the organization should pursue a coalition strategy to recall De León resulted in 85% voting in favor of this goal. DSA-LA's statement on the results is here.

• The Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform, formed explicitly as a response to the leaked council recording, met for the first time on Thursday. Chaired by Paul Krekorian, the committee discussed the implementation of harsher penalties on councilmembers who have been censured, as well as the implementation of independent redistricting. Public comment was brigaded by supporters of Kevin de León. Recorded meeting here.

• City Council voted 8–3 in favor of formally requesting an assessment of “damages” caused by the ongoing protests at council meetings, with the costs of excess police officers requested by council being counted toward that total. Councilmembers Raman, Harris-Dawson, and Bonin voted in opposition. This was the last vote of this council; new members will be seated next week.

Health Care

• Los Angeles County has reentered “high” community transmission of COVID-19, with all metrics, including deaths, sharply on the rise. Unsurprisingly, the LA County Board of Health has introduced several new benchmarks that must be met before they will institute an indoor mask mandate. Nevertheless, the use of masks indoors is strongly recommended.

Housing

• On Wednesday, Council President Paul Krekorian, at the prompting of outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti, introduced an amendment to the city’s monthly extension of the state of emergency, to set an official end date of February 1. This will trigger the end of COVID-related eviction protections in the city of Los Angeles.

Labor

• Knock LA adds to its coverage of the ongoing academic worker strike happening across the University of California system, speaking with several striking workers about the inspirations behind the strike. The New Republic examines how the University of California is not only these workers’ employer but also often their landlord. DSA-LA continues to organize strike support here.

Environmental Justice

• LA City Council voted unanimously on Friday to ban drilling of new oil and gas wells and phase out existing ones over the next 20 years. Much of the credit for the historic vote is owed to the persistent advocacy of STAND-LA, but members of the group did not attend Friday’s council session, in protest of Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo’s continued presence on the council. Their statement is here.

• With the new state legislature sworn in on Monday, a special legislative session was called by Governor Newsom to discuss his proposed bill to penalize excessive profits of the oil and gas industry. The language of that proposal is here.

• The Los Angeles City Planning Commission advanced a pilot program that would create a “wildlife district” in the Santa Monica Mountains between the 101 and 405 freeways. Certain kinds of development inside the district would be restricted.