California state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and former California state representative Lorena Gonzalez joined grocery and retail store workers, criminal justice advocates, and researchers for an online press conference on Aug. 14.
In The News
On Aug. 15, the Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 11-3 to pass a bill Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) authored requiring state-funded contractors hired for large-scale infrastructure projects prioritize hiring “disadvantaged workers.” Senate Bill (SB) 1340 now moves to the Assembly floor for a full vote. During a rally on Aug. 13 in front of the State Capitol Smallwood-Cuevas said the bill would help ease the state’s “job crisis” – which only impacts Californians from underserved communities of color whose unemployment rates remain in the double digits. For all Californians, the unemployment rate is relatively low at around 5.2%.
A group of progressive state lawmakers on Monday rallied against Proposition 36, a ballot measure they are calling an “expensive” crime reform that will lead to the over-policing of underserved communities and incarcerate Californians at rates akin to the 1980s war on drugs.
Thursday was do-or-die for hundreds of bills in the California Legislature, with many high-profile pieces of legislation passing the key hurdle.
Bills with a fiscal impact had to pass their respective chamber’s appropriations committee on Thursday. Hundreds had gathered on the suspense file, a sort of holding pen where affected bills were placed in anticipation of Thursday’s hearings.
It’s the last month of the legislative session in California, and a few advocates for criminal justice reform are knocking on doors and making their last pitches to legislators.
That includes Lily Hamilton with the Boundless Freedom Project, a group that works with people impacted by incarceration. They told a legislative aide about a bill that would cut back resources in state prisons where there are empty beds.
About 100 labor and racial equity activists joined Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas who represents Culver City and a group of legislative colleagues at the State Capitol West Steps today for a press conference to call on Governor Newsom to sign and fund SB 1340 to help ease the state's job crisis primarily impacting Californians from underserved communities of color. Senator MarÍa Elena Gonzalez, Asm. Liz Ortega and Asm. Isaac Bryan also attended the press conference to voice their support of the bill.
While the California Senate passed a series of public safety bills last week intended to get tough on organized retail theft, it did so without the vote of former Senate President pro Tem and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Toni Atkins.
Whether you love it or hate it, self-checkout is a popular option at stores across Los Angeles.
"It can be disorganized, but it can also be very helpful," said shopper Aaron Showalter.
"Rarely do I use it," said Sydelle Foreman. "I always have a few things that need to be weighed and I'd rather have them do it."
As self-checkout machines become more common, so are the concerns. Workers claim severe understaffing is on the rise and that self-checkouts make cashiers easier targets for theft and violence.