Elizabeth Chou

Nothing's confirmed until the agenda comes out, but I'm hearing that this meeting time will be changed, maybe delayed an hour. The best way is to watch this council file to see what's really gonna happen:
cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkc...

bsky.app/profile/repo...

Nothing's confirmed until the agenda comes out, but I'm hearing that this meeting time will be changed, maybe delayed an hour. The best way is to watch this council file to see what's really gonna happen:
cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkc...

bsky.app/profile/repo...

And you can watch how the pretextual stop discussion went at the Board of Police Commissioner's meeting yesterday, here: youtu.be/dm7rtmOMh0E?...
bsky.app/profile/repo...

Stop the Stops: Ending Racially Biased and Ineffective LAPD Traffic Stops | Catalyst California Catalyst California report on racially biased police enforcement of traffic stops in Los Angeles

At Friday's City Council hearing, Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project) should be presenting their analysis of LAPD's pretextual stops that found the practice to be extremely ineffective, esp. when it's primarily on police discretion: www.catalystcalifornia.org/campaign-too...

Interestingly, while the City Council can decide policy for most other city depts., they aren't allowed to do that with LAPD policy. That authority actually belongs to the Board of Police Commissioners, which heard a report from LAPD officials yesterday: cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2...

Stop the Stops: Ending Racially Biased and Ineffective LAPD Traffic Stops | Catalyst California Catalyst California report on racially biased police enforcement of traffic stops in Los Angeles

At Friday's City Council hearing, Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project) should be presenting their analysis of LAPD's pretextual stops that found the practice to be extremely ineffective, esp. when it's primarily on police discretion: www.catalystcalifornia.org/campaign-too...

At Friday's City Council hearing, Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project) should be presenting their analysis of LAPD's pretextual stops that found the practice to be extremely ineffective, esp. when it's primarily on police discretion: t.co/OzCBdsmXcW

A couple of LA City Council committees are supposed to meet at 1 p.m. on Friday to review data on a controversial practice by LAPD officers of stopping drivers by using a pretext -- a minor violation -- as the reason, in order to find a more serious violation.

A few minutes later, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson adds that his legislative staffer's "homeland" is Puerto Rico, and it's good because Quiñones is needed there.

MHD: "I'm excited they were able to make that connection."

Here's LA City Council members reacting to the news that LADWP's general manager Janisse Quiñones is resigning (effective March 27) to go lead an effort to modernize Puerto Rico's power grid.

"Is that serious or a joke?"

"That's interesting news we'll have to deal with now."

Here's the full agenda for the meeting: drive.google.com/file/d/1guBS...

Any reports or material w/context to what's on the agenda, including written comment, letters from elected officials/depts., staff reports, motions, you gotta check their website: reformlacharter.lacity.gov/commission-m...

LAPD and policing have been pretty hot topics at the Charter Reform Commission and it's finally back on the agenda this Thursday (4 pm).

The ad hoc committee tossed out the reform proposals, but there seems to be space on the agenda to bring some ideas back.

I think it should just be staff, who gather information or input from various places. The "ex parte" conversations between staff and elected officials aren't being disclosed, at least not as a requirement, and commission staff already stated they don't think it's a good idea to disclose them.

Here's the library's full statement.

LA Public Library just sent back a statement on letters from @aclusocal.bsky.social and @ncacensorshio.bsky.social

From what I can tell much of it is similar to past statements but this part stood out to me.

bsky.app/profile/repo...

And the inspector general part of Andrades motion got changed, so that the IG would be appointed by the Ethics Commission's executive director. That appeared to be in response to complaints the original motion gave the mayor influence, which some had a problem with.
bsky.app/profile/repo...

Commissioner Melinda Murray, who was previously president of the Ethics Commission, spoke last night about ethics reforms like with lobbying and developers, that didn't get done even as corruption occurred (involving bags of money in Vegas for example)

So the Charter Commission yesterday advanced a proposal to give the Ethics Commission the ability to place measures onto the ballot. There've been measures like a municipal lobbying ordinance that have gone dead because council didn't act, and ballot placement can be a workaround.

There've been concerns throughout this charter reform process of Mayor Karen Bass having a heavy hand, w/Council member Monica Rodriguez calling this out early on, and some commissioners raising concerns that it might be preventing reforms to make the LAPD more accountable.

This is the motion, by Commissioner Diego Andrades, that the Ethics Commission is taking issue with. (The Ethics Commission's letter also takes issue with some parts of the Charter Reform Commission's staff report): drive.google.com/file/d/14G0e...

Here's a joint letter from Fair Rep LA and the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles that expressed they were "deeply concerned" about the specific proposal to allow the Mayor to appoint an Inspector General. www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...

Here's the full Ethics Commission's letter, which also raises "serious" concerns with a number of other recommendations and proposals the Charter Reform Commission is running with, at the moment: drive.google.com/file/d/1pknq...

The "inspector general" to tackle CORRUPTION at LA City Hall appears to have become a pet idea of some Charter Reform commissioners ... even though there's been strong skepticism from good government groups.

Now the Ethics Commission itself is on record "strongly" opposing it.

Charter reform panel to meet again today, after commissioners walk out of last meeting, saying the public was being silenced Four commissioners walked out of the Feb. 11 meeting, after the mic was cut on a speaker making public comment. The chair had ordered meeting room cleared, telling The LA Reporter a day later that the...

Charter reform panel to meet again today, after commissioners walk out of last meeting, saying the public was being silenced thelareporter.la/p/charter-re...

Also, I asked Chair Valadez after the meeting about the extent of what they have received on this issue far from the public, such as how many letters from the public, and she responded "no further comment." There have already been earlier letters and public comment on this issue.

They can still talk after the meeting, such as with a reporter. They just couldn't bring it up during the meeting, due to Brown Act rules that require notifying people ahead of time of what's going to be discussed.

Mayra Valadez, who chairs the Library Commission, told me today she didn't have comment, but should be the next meeting. Commissioners didn't respond to the public comment today because the issue wasn't on the agenda.

At Thursday's Library Commission mtg several people came to urge the library to reinstate the Read Palestine Week. Summer Farah said the cancellation "sends a message to Palestinians and those who love us that our stories are not welcome in this city & sets a frightening precedent."

LA's City Librarian cites need to be 'apolitical,' as library staffers seek apology for cancelled Read Palestine Week event More than 100 library staffers put their names to a "solidarity letter" that seeks an apology from library administrators. City Librarian John Szabo now says the cancellation of a Dec. 6 Read Palestin...

So it's not the Library Commission that cancelled the event, it seems. Based on staffer's account of things, this was a decision by library administration and City Librarian John Szabo. The speakers today are essentially asking the commissioners to step in. thelareporter.la/p/la-city-li...

It seems a UTLA body voted last night to pass something urging the commission to reinstate the cancelled event. Marcy Winograd (UTLA house of rep voting member) said the cancellation was "selective." Marc Wutschke, also repping UTLA house of rep, called it a "cowardly retreat.