Thorn West: Issue No. 157
State Politics
- The California Reparations Task Force released a historic report this week, which proposed a method of calculating how much the state owes to Black Californians for a variety of harms including over-policing and housing discrimination. In his response, Governor Gavin Newsom was noncommittal on support for reparations in the form of cash payments. The Task Force is due to complete work in July.
City Politics
- A coalition of activist groups is advocating for implementing a democracy vouchers program in Los Angeles. Vouchers would be issued to all Angelenos regardless of income; once pledged to a candidate for office, they could be redeemed for campaign funding. A motion to study democracy vouchers was introduced by councilmembers Nithya Raman and Marqueece Harris-Dawson this past March.
- Kevin de León’s presence at Los Angeles City Hall took another step toward normalization, as last Friday the disgraced councilmember was permitted to deliver a Cinco de Mayo presentation; many city councilmembers left the floor as he spoke. A protester was arrested following the provoked public outcry.
Labor
- The Writers Guild of America strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is ongoing. For schedules and locations of picket lines, see here. Joining is easy! DSA-LA and several of our electeds will be at Warner Brothers on Monday. This week President Biden expressed support for a “fair deal” for writers, after both Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom called for “both sides” to come to the table. Law enforcement has also expressed anti-solidarity, warning the public against “excessive honking” in support of striking workers.
Housing Rights
- The Ellis Act, a state law which allows landlords to evict tenants without cause provided they take the units off the market, is being used to evict hundreds of tenants from Barrington Towers in West LA — one of the largest mass evictions in state history.
- A new policy paper looks at the way a municipal public bank in Los Angeles could bolster the city’s affordable housing stock.
Transportation
- A report from Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) and the Alliance for Community Transit (ACT-LA) makes the case for universal fareless public transit across Los Angeles.
Environmental Justice
- After widespread pushback from residents of the San Joaquin Valley, Governor Newsom has restored $40 million in funding for floodplain restoration. An El Niño weather pattern is widely predicted for the upcoming year; this would put the area at an increased risk of flooding.
- In a 5 – 4 decision, the US Supreme Court narrowly sided with California voters, who voted in 2018 to ban the sale of meat and egg products from farms that did not meet animal welfare standards.