Politics & Government
LA Eyes Outdoor Drinking Zones | Surveillance Network Grows | Oil Drilling Ban: LA Government This Week
Also: A City Council member faces recall, Caruso reveals his vote, and the city reports a 47% drop in homicides.
LOS ANGELES, CA — City leaders advanced plans for outdoor drinking zones, expanded street-camera surveillance and restarted the clock on ending oil drilling this week, while a new poll showed a dead heat in the mayor's race.
Those developments lead this week's roundup of decisions, debates and developments inside Los Angeles city and county government.
Less Red Tape, More Room To Raise A Glass
Mayor Karen Bass signed a sweeping directive Wednesday aimed at making it easier and less expensive to open and operate restaurants. The changes include streamlining outdoor dining permits, providing one-stop permitting assistance and exploring grants to help struggling restaurants cover expenses such as rent, payroll and utilities.
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Meanwhile, the City Council voted 12-0 Wednesday to explore creating designated outdoor drinking zones in downtown LA. The proposal would allow customers to carry alcoholic beverages purchased from participating businesses into designated public spaces, similar to programs already operating in Santa Monica and San Francisco.
LA's Growing Network Of Eyes On The Streets
Los Angeles is rapidly expanding its use of automated cameras, with new systems targeting speeding, illegal parking and crime moving forward this week.
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The first 26 of 125 planned speed cameras went live Monday, beginning a 60-day warning period before drivers face fines. And starting Monday, cameras mounted on DASH buses will begin catching drivers illegally blocking bus lanes and stops. That program will also begin with warnings, with fines starting Jan. 2.
Meanwhile, the City Council cleared the way for a controversial LAPD pilot program that would install license plate-reading cameras on streetlights in the city. An effort to require additional privacy safeguards before the three-month test fell one vote short Tuesday, with critics warning about potential misuse of the data and inadequate oversight.
A Dead Heat In The Mayor's Race
With Election Day just days away, a new poll found Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman tied at 40% each among likely voters, with 19% undecided. The results mark a dramatic turnaround from September, when Raman held an 11-point lead.
Bass also picked up a show of support from Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer who spent more than $100 million trying to defeat her in 2022. Caruso said he plans to vote for Bass, though he stopped short of a formal endorsement.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County officials urged voters not to be deterred by the Trump administration's legal effort to set aside roughly 20,000 California ballots over allegations that the voters may not be citizens. County officials defended the integrity of the election system and encouraged eligible voters to cast their ballots as the legal fight continues.
LA Restarts The Clock On Oil Drilling
And Los Angeles has renewed its effort to eliminate oil and gas drilling citywide, with Bass signing an ordinance Thursday that would phase out existing operations over 20 years, subject to limited exceptions for maintenance and safety.
The city previously adopted a drilling ban in 2022, but the ordinance was struck down following a legal challenge. State lawmakers subsequently restored local authority to regulate or prohibit drilling, allowing Los Angeles to revive the phaseout.
Environmental advocates hailed the decision as a milestone in a yearslong fight to remove oil wells from residential neighborhoods, while acknowledging that communities living near drilling sites will continue to face those conditions for years to come.
More Local Government News
City Council:
A petition to recall City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson is underway.
LA Pushes For Stronger Bike Lane Barriers That Don’t Crumple On Impact
The city is studying what it would take to replace plastic bike-lane posts with tougher concrete barriers installed by LADOT.
City Makes Small Film Shoots Free As Production Slump Deepens
The city approved free permits for shoots with 10 or fewer people as Los Angeles tries to make local production cheaper and easier.
Council Approves New Path To Meet 14,000-Bed Homelessness Mandate
The city must create 14,000 housing and shelter placements by June 2027 and maintain most of them through 2029.
Council Approves First $5M Of $10.5M To Aid Boyle Heights Residents
The money will be used to support families and businesses impacted by the June warehouse fire in Boyle Heights.
LA County:
LA County Takes Bigger Role In Homelessness System As LAHSA Loses Key Duties
The shift gives LA County control of regional homelessness data and placement systems previously managed by the embattled LAHSA.
Judge Dismisses Suit Claiming LA County Fire Discriminated Against White Men
The battalion chief claimed women and people of color were favored for promotions, but the court found no proof of discriminatory intent.
LA County Seeks First Ethics Watchdog To Oversee 39 Departments
The officer will report to and take direction from the county's new Ethics Commission.
LA County Seeks To Toss Deputy’s $4M Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
The deputy alleges she was demoted after rejecting sexual advance; county attorneys say her claims are unsupported and should be dismissed.
Neurodivergent Job Seekers Get New Path Into LA County Careers
The program pairs neurodivergent job seekers with paid county opportunities while training managers on more inclusive hiring and support.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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