ONE BIG THING: CITY COUNCIL KILLS LAPD REFORM
What Happened?
In a last-minute vote before the July ‘recess’ – the City Council voted 8-6 to kill our LAPD reform to give the City Council to create policies for the police department, after it had already been approved in a 10-5 vote two weeks ago (but before the police union mounted a massive backroom campaign to kill it).
Every step of the way, we answered every question raised about our proposal and ensured we had clear solutions to all potential concerns brought up.
Still, without any public reason for opposition given during the debate, the City Council voted to kill it for the November ballot.
Click here to read more about the common-sense reforms
Why it Matters
LAPD Reform was the last significant measure standing after everything else was already shot down by City Council:
❌ Expanding City Council
❌ Ranked Choice Voting
❌ Strengthen Independent Oversight via City Controller
One by one, City Council killed every reform that would’ve given Angelenos a bigger say in their government
What’s Next?
The majority of City Council might want to keep the status quo – but we know that the majority of Angelenos don’t. All of these measures were sent to a newly formed Ad Hoc Committee on Charter Reform, with the possibility that they can be put on the ballot in the next cycle.
So we’ll keep fighting. We’ll keep organizing. And we’ll make sure that the City Council has no choice but to put reforms on the ballot the next opportunity we have in 2028. Because our elected officials should serve the people. Not the other way around.
Three More Quick Hits!
- Expanding Voting Rights in Local Elections
This week, we also made the difficult decision to pull our proposal to expand voting rights to longtime Los Angeles residents who aren't U.S. citizens from the November ballot for further discussion.
From the beginning, our goal has been to unite Los Angeles behind a simple idea: if you call this city home, you deserve a voice in the local decisions that shape your daily life. After hearing concerns from residents across different communities, we decided to take additional time to build public trust, strengthen the proposal, and bring together the widest possible coalition of support.
Our commitment to expanding voting rights has not changed. We'll continue refining the proposal, engaging communities across the city, and working to bring it back before voters in the future.
- USA vs Belgium Echo Park Lake Watch Party!
It was a beautiful day at Echo Park Lake for a massive crowd to watch Team USA take down Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0, and we’ll be back for the Round of 16 match vs. Belgium this Monday at 5pm!
We’ll also be showing Spain vs Portugal in the Round of 16 at 12pm, so come out to Echo Park Lake for a full day of fun and fútbol.
- Summer Night Lights Begins!
From now until August 7, select parks across the city will be open until 11pm Wednesday through Saturday with food, sports, and activities for the whole family through LA’s Summer Night Lights program!
Our district’s locations are Lemon Grove Park and Glassell Park Rec Center — click here to view a list of all participating locations.