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. 144 - February 10, 2023

State Politics

• A December federal spending bill cut a pandemic program that funded food benefits programs such as CalFresh. CalMatters covers the potentially devastating loss of benefits for Californians, particularly seniors, on the horizon.

City Politics

• Reforms to the city’s Municipal Lobbying Ordinance are being taken up by LA City Council for the first time since the ordinance was written, in 1994. Multiple recommendations for reforms written by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission were ignored by council, but the Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform voted unanimously to move a motion from Councilmember Nithya Raman to implement the commission’s latest recommendations, along with several strengthening amendments. It is now agendized to be heard by the full council on February 15.

Health Care

• DSA-LA Healthcare Justice Committee is leading the effort to demand that lawmakers across the state introduce CalCare, a statewide single-payer bill, before February 17, the last day this year that new legislation can be introduced. RSVP here to attend tomorrow’s rally for CalCare as the deadline approaches.

Labor

• The first event in Strike Hype!, a speaker series organized by DSA-LA’s Labor Committee, will feature worker leaders from the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, Starbucks Workers United, United Teachers Los Angeles, and the Writers Guild of America — each of which will be negotiating a new contract in the next few months. The event will take place in person on February 16. RSVP here.
  
  
• This week Los Angeles City Council directed the city to look into its contracts with bus drivers, citing “wage rates that do not reflect the current economic conditions” as a cause of staffing shortages that have led to thousands of canceled routes. Motion here.

Housing Rights

• This week LA City Council finalized the last elements of the tenant protections that were championed by Keep LA Housed and Councilmember Raman and unanimously approved by council back in January, though defections by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez and John Lee delayed implementation by an extra week. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez recapped the new protections on Instagram in English and Spanish.

Police Violence and Community Resistance

• A lawsuit initiated by an LA County Sheriff’s Department deputy provides evidence of a newly formed deputy gang operating out of the East LA station. Newly elected Sheriff Robert Luna ran on a promise to do more to investigate deputy gangs.

Environmental Justice

• At a Tuesday hearing, regulators and industry representatives discussed the causes of high natural gas prices in California and what can be done to shield residents from high bills.

• Oil and gas industries have successfully gotten the signatures for a ballot measure that would overturn SB 1137, California’s historic new law banning new oil and gas wells near homes, schools, and other community sites. The law will now be held from taking effect until after the 2024 election, pending the results.