ONE BIG THING: CITY COUNCIL VOTES (AGAIN) TO END NEW OIL & GAS DRILLING
What Happened?
This week, in a historic moment, the Los Angeles City Council voted to revive its plan to ban new oil and gas drilling and phase out existing oil production over the next 20 years.
Why it Matters
The City first adopted an oil phaseout ordinance in 2022, but it was overturned in court after oil companies argued that only the state (not cities) could regulate drilling.
But last year, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3233, a new law reaffirming local governments' authority to regulate oil and gas operations, clearing the way for Los Angeles to move forward.
Studies have found that oil in wells can emit dangerous carcinogens, causing adverse health effects like leukemia and lymphoma, and increasing the likelihood of cancer in children that live in the surrounding areas.
With Angelenos already facing environmental emergencies, like the recent oil pipeline rupture that sent more than 2,000 gallons of crude oil into the LA River, or the cold storage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, this ordinance is an important step towards ensuring clean air for all Angelenos.
What’s Next?
The ordinance will prohibit new drilling while a separate effort aims to end production at the city's more than 2,000 existing oil wells.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to move the ordinance forward, and it will now need to come back for a second vote, before it is finally adopted later this summer. Once it is, it will make Los Angeles the largest city in the country to phase out existing oil wells.
Many of these wells operate near schools, homes, and parks, and the majority are concentrated in low-income communities of color. As is often the case, those communities have suffered as a result of decades of corporate greed, so this motion is a huge step towards ensuring that those communities’ wellbeing and safety is prioritized in the City’s decision making.
Three More Quick Hits
- From Encampment to Housing
Last week on Silver Lake Blvd at the 101 underpass, we worked with the Mayor’s Inside Safe Team and trusted service providers to bring 12 people off the streets and into motel rooms.
This was one of the largest encampments in our district and a heavily traveled pedestrian corridor. By partnering with the Mayor's office, coordinating across city departments, and working alongside trusted service providers — we were able to tailor housing and support options and successfully bring every person at the site into safe and stable housing.
We know what works: expanding interim housing, accelerating the construction of permanent affordable housing, and pairing housing with the mental health/addiction treatment people need to achieve long-term stability.
- Wage Theft Legislation Advances Through Committee
The Personnel Committee greenlighted our priority motion to crack down on wage theft, sending it to the full City Council for consideration.
Right now, the City can only enforce violations of the citywide minimum wage, leaving most forms of wage theft—like unpaid overtime, missed meal and rest breaks, and late pay—outside its authority. This legislation would give the City the tools to investigate those violations, issue subpoenas when employers refuse to cooperate, and prioritize enforcement for low-wage workers.
Wage theft costs Los Angeles workers more than$1 billion every year, yet recovering those stolen wages has never been a priority. Despite years of studies, reports, and fierce opposition from powerful corporate interests, this proposal is finally headed to the full City Council. If approved, it would give the City the authority to return millions of dollars in stolen wages to working Angelenos while holding bad employers accountable.
- Futbol Watch Parties at Echo Park Lake!
The Knockout Rounds are upon us, and we’ll be showing Team USA’s round of 32 match vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina this Wednesday at 5pm at Echo Park Lake, along with the other round of 32 matches that day at 9am and 1pm!
Check out the full schedule below, and click here to volunteer at our Kick it in Echo Park activations!