DOJ to investigate LA City Council + California’s propositions top nationwide list
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
BONTA TO INVESTIGATE LA CITY COUNCIL REDISTRICTING PROCESS
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Wednesday announced that he is opening an investigation into the City of Los Angeles and its city council regarding the city’s redistricting process.
The announcement comes following a political earthquake in Southern California politics, as three city council members — Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo — and L.A. County Labor Federation President Ron Herrera were heard in a leaked recording making racist, antisemitic and homophobic remarks and discussing efforts to dilute Black political power in the city.
Martinez and Herrera have since resigned from their jobs. De León and Cedillo have not.
“As a father and human being, I am deeply appalled by the remarks made by some of Los Angeles’ highest-ranking officials,” Bonta said in a statement. “Their comments were unacceptable, offensive, and deeply painful. There is no place for anti-Black, antisemitic, anti-Indigenous, anti-LGBTQ, or any kind of discriminatory rhetoric in our state, especially in relation to the duties of a public official.”
Bonta said that the decennial redistricting process “is foundational for our democracy” and that the leaked audio “has cast doubt on a cornerstone of our political processes for Los Angeles.”
Bonta’s office wasn’t specific about what would be investigated, only that the inquiry will be conducted by the California Department of Justice’s Racial Justice Bureau. State attorneys will work to consider all relevant information related to the city’s 2021 redistricting process, his office said.
BALLOTPEDIA LISTS THREE CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS AS ONES TO WATCH
Nonpartisan election watcher Ballotpedia has released its list of ballot measures to watch this November, and three of California’s initiatives made the cut.
Proposition 26, Proposition 27 and Proposition 31 are among 15 ballot measures across the country being closely scrutinized.
“While Ballotpedia’s editorial and ballot measures teams are watching all ballot measures closely, they identified these top 15 based on their relation to wider policy debates, topic trends, campaign finance records, and unique situations,” according to a statement from the organization.
A quick refresher on what those three ballot measures do:
Proposition 26 would legalize sports betting at California tribal casinos and certain racetracks. Proposition 27 would legalize online and mobile sports betting. And Proposition 31 would ban most flavored tobacco products in the state.
Props 26 and 27 have the dubious distinction of being the two most well-funded ballot measures in the country; more than $383 million has been spent on Prop 27, while more than $166 million has been spent on Prop 26.
Proposition 29 (to regulate dialysis clinics), Proposition 30 (to tax the rich to pay for electric vehicle infrastructure) and Proposition 31 all also made the top 10 list of most contributions.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This is the right move. Again, these comments have no place in our state, or in our politics, and we must all model better behavior to live the values that so many of us fight every day to protect.”
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom, weighing in on the resignation of Los Angeles City Councilmember Nury Martinez, in a statement. Newsom had not previously publicly called for her resignation.
Best of The Bee:
After three days of state and national pressure, Los Angeles City Council Member Nury Martinez resigned on Wednesday, via Gillian Brassil.
With two ballot initiatives to legalize sports betting in California headed for near-certain defeat in November, players on all sides are beginning to strategize their next moves even as campaign representatives say they remain focused on the election at hand, via Ari Plachta.