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. 149 - March 17, 2023

State Politics

• Governor Newsom has backed down considerably from his pledge to cap oil industry profits. He is now only promising to investigate why spikes in the price of gasoline happen, which is uncertain largely because the oil industry is able to keep much data a secret.

City Politics

• Though numerous whistleblowers from among his former staff came forward to state that former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti knew of and abetted the ongoing workplace sexual harassment committed by Rick Jacobs (Garcetti’s chief fundraiser), Garcetti’s appointment as ambassador to India was narrowly confirmed by the Senate this week.

Labor

• Approximately 30,000 members of SEIU-99, which represents non-teacher workers in the LAUSD school system, plan to strike for three days next week, per an announcement made at Wednesday’s rally. Among the demands of union members, who include custodial staff, bus drivers, and special education assistants, is a 30% pay raise — the average annual salary for members is currently $25,000. If the strike occurs, members of UTLA, the Los Angeles teachers union, will not cross the picket line, and schools will close for three days. DSA-LA is supporting the strike; find out more here!
  

• Prop 22 — the Uber- and Lyft-sponsored ballot measure that allows ride-sharing apps to classify their drivers as independent contractors, to avoid providing them with the benefits entitled to employees — has been largely upheld by a California court of appeals, overturning a lower court ruling that had found the new law violated the state constitution. The ruling was not unanimous, meaning it can again be appealed, before the California Supreme Court.

Transportation

• Last year, Metro extended its current policing contract six months, with the expectation that the time would be used to plan how to divert its public safety budget away from armed officers. However, this week Metro will discuss extending that same contract another three years.

Incarceration

• The Appeal writes in depth on the horrifying conditions that people with mental illness face in Los Angeles County jails. This is part of a series of articles on the county’s over-incarceration of people with mental illness, and the slow pace at which the county’s plan to transition to a care-first model has proceeded.

Housing Rights

• KCRW reports on Inside Safe, Mayor Karen Bass’ plan to reduce homelessness, which so far has heavily involved sweeping encampments and relocating residents into temporary shelter. However, many of the motels this program has been relying on have had recurring habitability issues.

Environmental Justice

• In response to crashing Chinook populations, a council of West Coast fishery managers plans to cancel this year’s salmon season in California, which will put hundreds of commercial fishers out of work.