GOVERNMENT REFORM PROPOSALS INTRODUCTION
CD10 Voices Editor’s Note: The suspension of former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas raised profound issues of governance and the need for reform of the City of Los Angeles’ charter. A secret meeting ostensibly convened by then-Council President Nury Martinez to discuss redistricting (that included current Councilmember Kevin DeLeon) highlighted the racial motivations and shortcomings of the Charter that permitted her leadership to engage in a manipulative abuse of power that disenfranchised CD10 constituents, nullified their voting rights, suspended their Councilmember without a hearing, and denied them a meaningful say in the appointment of their duly elected representative’s replacement. CD10Voices for Empowerment called for a more transparent and accountable process for addressing the issues raised by the City Council’s decision. Toward that end, we convened virtual meetings that modeled the type of outreach we sought and issued a report calling for specific Charter reforms. Since then, the City Council has undertaken deliberations on several Charter reforms related to governance and government reform that will appear on the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 ballot. Additionally, the County Board of Supervisors will place County reform measures on the same ballot. Because these issues touch on fundamental issues of popular sovereignty and representative self-governance, we have provided background information by the Empowerment Congress to this website. It provides more detailed information about proposed Charter amendments to both the City of Los Angeles (redistricting, ethics and establishment of a permanent charter reform commission) and the County of Los Angeles (Board of Supervisors expansion, creation of an ethics commission and elected county chief executive officer.)
As we enter the election season, questions related to governance and government reform will be on the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 ballot. The City of Los Angeles (redistricting, ethics and establishment of a permanent charter reform commission), County of Los Angeles (Board of Supervisors expansion, creation of an ethics commission and elected county executive), and United States government (Project 2025) touch on issues related to the essence of popular sovereignty and representative self-governance.
LOS ANGELES CITY CHARTER REFORM
Since then-Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas’ October 2021 suspension, the Los Angeles City Council has been considering a variety of reforms to its Charter – the city’s governing document or constitution. Prompted by revelations about underlying political ambitions and racial motivations of then-Council President Nury Martinez, MRT’s removal from the Council raised issues of due process and fundamental fairness, voting rights, representation, redistricting, and ethics. The periodic review of the Charter itself would become a prominent feature of the Council’s deliberations.
As a result, the City Council has placed several matters on the ballot for consideration by City voters on/by November 5, 2021.
Proposed Charter Amendments
To find the ballot language for governance-related Charter Reforms for the Los Angeles City Council (independent redistricting, City ethics commission, and permanent charter reform commission), please see the following link.
https://clerk.lacity.gov/clerk-services/elections/municipal-elections/ballot-measures
LA City - City Charter, Rules, and Codes
Local News Coverage
To find relevant news articles regarding City Charter Reform, please see the following:
LA Daily News - 7/31/24: LA City Council accepts Bass’ veto of LAPD disciplinary ballot measure
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday, July 30, passed on the opportunity to override Mayor Karen Bass’ recent veto of a proposed ballot measure intended at changing the disciplinary process for LAPD officers —including expanding the chief’s powers to fire officers for misconduct. On July 15, Bass vetoed the council’s approval of a measure placing the matter on the November ballot, but the 15-member council could have reversed the veto by lassoing 10 votes in favor of an override.
LA Daily News - 6/20/24: Los Angeles City Council creates city’s charter reform commission
In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council established a Charter Reform Commission on Tuesday, June 18, which will be tasked with recommending updates to a vast range of government procedures — including possible expansion of the City Council and improving transparency. Council members passed the ordinance 13-0, with the aim of having the commission propose charter amendments for Los Angeles voters to consider on the November 2026 ballot.
LA Times - 6/18/24: Expand the L.A. City Council? A citizens commission will explore that and other ideas
The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to create a new citizen’s commission to look at expanding the size of the council, reducing the number of council meetings and other potential changes to city operations. The 13-member commission will be charged with developing proposals for the November 2026 ballot that would revise the city charter, which spells out the powers and duties of city departments, offices and elected officials. The idea of expanding the 15-member council has been circulating for a few years, with several council members signing on to the idea. Council President Paul Krekorian had hoped to send a council expansion measure to L.A. voters in November.
Cal Matters - 5/30/24: Los Angeles politicians take rare steps to limit their power and boost public confidence – sort of
Self-regulation is a messy business. In politics, it can seem elusive. When elected officials adopt rules to govern the conduct of elected officials, they’re pulled in one direction by constituents who favor restrictions and punishments, and in the other direction by self-preservation, a basic instinct politicians have in abundance. Progress tends to be incremental and uneven as a result. This is where we are with the Los Angeles City Council and its continuing struggle to respond to the public’s shaky confidence. On one hand, indictments and damning revelations about members of the council have convinced even its most recalcitrant members that they need to do something to regain trust. On the other, members like their seats and don’t like facing consequences.
LA Times - 5/15/24: Ethics reform measure will go to L.A. voters. Critics say it’s watered down
Los Angeles voters in November will weigh in on a ballot measure that would strengthen the city’s ethics oversight after a string of scandals at City Hall. Watchdog groups were deeply disappointed, saying the measure does not go far enough after the City Council watered down a proposal that had included more sweeping changes, such as giving the volunteer Ethics Commission unilateral power to put items on the ballot. The ballot measure passed unanimously by the council on Tuesday would increase penalties for violations of the city ethics code to $15,000 from $5,000. The city department that includes the commission would get a minimum annual budget of $6.5 million, slightly more than what is now proposed for the upcoming fiscal year. Also, a newly created Charter Reform Commission would review the entire city charter.
LAist - 5/14/24: LA Council Approves Ethics Reforms For Ballot. Critics Say The Changes Are Watered Down
The Los Angeles City Council moved closer Tuesday to placing on the November ballot a package of ethics reforms designed to fight corruption, but the panel dumped key proposals in the process. Council members unanimously directed the city attorney to draft ballot language for the package, which involves a number of changes to the city charter. The reforms follow successive City Hall scandals that have shaken the public’s trust in elected city officials. Among the biggest proposals: one that would triple the maximum fines imposed on elected officials and others who violate city ethics rules, including campaign finance laws.
LA Daily News - 4/30/24: LA City Council amends ballot measure that promises ‘truly independent redistricting’
The Los Angeles City Council approved amendments Tuesday to a ballot measure to establish an independent redistricting commission that would be tasked with redrawing the boundaries of council districts for future elections. In a 13-0 vote, council members instructed the City Attorney’s Office to update the measure to reflect changes approved by the Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Reform earlier this month. Establishing an independent redistricting commission requires a change to the City Charter, which will need approval by voters. “To say its been a journey to get here is an understatement,” said Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a member of the ad hoc committee. “We are finally here, and I’m very, very excited to be voting on something that will be sent before the voters in November so that we here in the city of Los Angeles can finally get a truly independent redistricting commission.”
LA Times - 9/29/24: L.A. will switch to independent redistricting if voters approve in 2024 election
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a plan Wednesday to establish an independent redistricting commission for the city and place it on the November 2024 ballot. The council’s action caps a years-long effort to fix a process that has been widely decried as broken. Under the city’s current redistricting system, the City Council has the final say over the maps, which are redrawn every 10 years, and elected officials can appoint members to the redistricting panel who essentially act as their proxies. Implementing independent redistricting would curtail the council’s influence over their own district lines.
LAist - 9/29/23: In ‘Historic’ Vote, LA City Council Places Independent Redistricting On 2024 Ballot
The L.A. City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to place a measure on the November 2024 ballot that could create an independent commission to redraw voting districts that reflect population changes in the city. Right now, that responsibility rests with the City Council itself. Calls for the creation of an independent commission emerged after secretly recorded audio was released last year that captured City Council members discussing ways to preserve their political power through the redistricting process. Their conversation included racist and derogatory comments and sparked widespread protests. “This city was rocked,” Council President Paul Krekorian told reporters before the vote. “A lot has changed in the last year and we now have a group of council members who are far more focused on governance reform.”
LOS ANGELES COUNTY CHARTER REFORM
Issues of representation, governance and ethics have also become matters of interest within Los Angeles County. Were it a state, the County of Los Angeles would rank among the country’s 10 most populous – right behind Michigan. The County Board of Supervisors has placed before the voters several proposals that could have far-reaching impacts on governance.
Proposed Charter Amendments
To find the ballot language for governance-related Los Angeles County Charter Reforms (i.e., County Board of Supervisors expansion, direct election of a Chief Executive Officer, and the establishment of an ethics commission), please see the following link:
https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/193678.pdf
Local News Coverage
To find relevant news articles regarding County Charter Reform, please see the following:
Santa Monica Daily Press: 8/5/24 - LA County supervisors look to rare reforms that would dilute their power
It’s axiomatic that institutions, whether governmental, academic, philanthropic or corporate, rarely reform themselves. Universally, if systemic change occurs, it tends to come from outside the existing structure for one overriding reason: Those who wield authority within the institution don’t want to risk having their powers diluted or eliminated.
Beverly Hills Courier - 8/1/24: L.A. County Board of Supervisors Vote on Historic Ballot Initiative
On July 30, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on a governance reform proposal that will appear on the LA County ballot this November. The initiative, authored by Board Chair Lindsey Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn, would amend the Charter of the County of Los Angeles. Horvath represents the third district, which includes the city of Beverly Hills. Her goal is to update county governance to better represent the modern world.
Patch - 7/31/24: Should LA County's Government Be Overhauled? Voters Will Decide
After weeks of back and forth, the county Board of Supervisors in a final vote Tuesday added a series of proposed County Charter amendments to the November ballot, including an expansion of the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would expand to nine members in 2030 and the county CEO would become an elected position by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of County Legislative Analyst and Director of Budget and Management.
My News LA - 7/30/24: LA County Board to Vote on Adding Charter Amendments to November Ballot
“The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday is scheduled to cast a final vote on putting a series of proposed County Charter amendments to the November ballot, including an expansion of the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would expand to nine members in 2030 and the county CEO would become an elected position by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of County Legislative Analyst and Director of Budget and Management.”
CAL Matters - 7/30/24: Los Angeles County supervisors look to rare reforms that would dilute their power
It’s axiomatic that institutions, whether governmental, academic, philanthropic or corporate, rarely reform themselves. Universally, if systemic change occurs, it tends to come from outside the existing structure for one overriding reason: Those who wield authority within the institution don’t want to risk having their powers diluted or eliminated. California’s recent history offers several cogent examples of the syndrome, including the imposition of term limits on legislators and other state officials, the shift to a top-two primary election system and moving the decennial shuffling of legislative and congressional district boundaries from the Legislature to an independent commission.
LA Daily News - 7/30/24: Proposed charter amendments for November ballot would change the way LA County is governed
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to cast a final vote Tuesday on putting a series of proposed County Charter amendments on the November ballot, including one that would expand the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would increase in size in 2030, and the position of county CEO would become elected rather than appointed by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of county legislative analyst and director of budget and management.
Audacy - 7/30/24: L.A. Supervisors to vote on adding charter amendments to Nov. ballot
The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday is scheduled to cast a final vote on putting a series of proposed County Charter amendments to the November ballot, including an expansion of the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would expand to nine members in 2030 and the county CEO would become an elected position by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of County Legislative Analyst and Director of Budget and Management.
San Fernando Sun - 5/31/24: Link LA County Board Adds Charter Amendments to November Ballot
LOS ANGELES (CNS) – After weeks of back and forth, the county Board of Supervisors in a final vote on Tuesday, July 30, added a series of proposed County Charter amendments to the November ballot, including an expansion of the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would expand to nine members in 2030 and the county CEO would become an elected position by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of county legislative analyst and director of budget and management.
LA Daily News - 5/31/24: Supervisors add charter amendments to November ballot that could change how LA County is governed
After weeks of back and forth, the county Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a final vote on Tuesday, July 30, added a series of proposed County Charter amendments to the November ballot, including an expansion of the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would expand to nine members in 2030 and the county CEO would become an elected position by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of County Legislative Analyst and Director of Budget and Management. The proposal also includes the establishment of an Ethics Commission and a Compliance Officer by 2026. The board last week already began the process of creating an Ethics Commission, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger noting that the move doesn’t require voter approval. But if it is also approved on the ballot, the Office of Ethics Compliance will be codified in the charter, protecting it from being disbanded in future absent another public vote.
LA Daily News - 5/23/24: LA County supervisors back a ballot measure to add 4 seats, elect a county CEO
Despite mounting opposition, a ballot measure that would increase the number of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from five to nine members, create an elected, not appointed, county executive officer and establish an ethics commission received its first vote of approval on Tuesday, July 23. The supervisors voted 3-2 on the ballot measure drawn up by the L.A. County Counsel’s Office. All it needs is a second and final vote that’s set for July 30 and the sweeping governance reform — the first multi-pronged charter reform package in more than 100 years that will change the face of county government — will go before voters on Nov. 5. While the ballot measure moved a giant step closer to county voters, Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell and Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger voted “no,” after arguing the measure will not be revenue neutral, as it says, but will have to be paid for out of county services and other cutbacks.
LA Daily News - 5/9/24: Plan to add 4 LA County supervisors may head to voters in November
A plan to increase the number of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from five to nine members, elect a county executive officer and establish an ethics commission was approved by a split vote on Tuesday, July 9. The board directed the Office of County Counsel to draft an ordinance that would incorporate major changes to the way the county government operates as part of a county charter amendment. The supervisors at a later date must vote to place the measure before voters. The board moved forward with the sweeping government reforms by a 3-0 vote with two abstentions. Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis voted in favor, while Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger abstained.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REFORM
Project 2025
Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings regarding the regulatory powers of the executive branch of the federal government and the presidential immunity from prosecution for “official” acts are concentrating federal governing authority profoundly. Project 2025 is a proposal developed by the Heritage Foundation in consultation with an advisory board composed of nearly 100 politically conservative groups. Much of its focus is on what is called “Mandate for Leadership 2025: the Conservative Promise.” The document calls for the up-ending of the merit-based civil service system, resulting in the replacement of thousands of civil servants by political appointees, expanding the power of the presidency by use of administrative procedures to eliminate traditional governing norms, an assault on reproductive rights, sweeping tax cuts for the wealthy, dismantling the Departments of Education and Labor, and more.
The 30-year mantra of the Empowerment Congress is to: Educate, Engage, and Empower. Towards that end, regarding Project 2025, we refer you to the excellent nonpartisan policy brief of the National Urban League.
News Coverage
To find relevant news articles regarding Project 2025, please see the following:
CBS - 7/31/24 - What is Project 2025? What to know about the conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration
Voters in recent weeks have begun to hear the term "Project 2025" invoked more and more by President Biden, Vice President Harris and other Democrats who are seeking to sound the alarm about what could be in store if former President Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House. Overseen by the conservative Heritage Foundation, the multi-pronged initiative includes a detailed blueprint for the next Republican president to usher in a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch.
CBS - 7/30/24: Head of pro-Trump Project 2025 steps down as Democrats ramp up attacks
“Washington — Paul Dans, the director of the Project 2025 presidential transition initiative overseen by the Heritage Foundation, is leaving his post at the think tank, the group's president confirmed Tuesday. Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, said in a statement that Dans, who previously served in the Trump administration, will be departing after having led the transition initiative for the past two years. He thanked Dans for his work on Project 2025.”
LA Times - 7/30/24: Project 2025 director leaving post; Trump campaign welcomes ‘demise’ of right-wing playbook
“The director of Project 2025, a controversial conservative playbook for a second Trump presidency that has stoked intense debate on the national political stage, is stepping down. The departure Tuesday of attorney Paul Dans from his director role at the Heritage Foundation, which oversees Project 2025, was immediately welcomed by former President Trump’s campaign, which has been trying for months to distance the candidate from the plan.”
MSNBC - 7/30/24: Project 2025’s plot for a Trump DOJ takeover
“This is an adapted excerpt from the July 28 episode of “Velshi.”Project 2025's chapter on the Justice Department begins with a bit of a tell: "Not reforming the Department of Justice will also guarantee the failure of that conservative Administration’s agenda in countless other ways.” A common misconception held by Donald Trump while he was president was that the Justice Department worked for him, not for the American people. Chapter 17 seeks to make that misconception true.”
AP News - 7/30/24: Project 2025 shakes up leadership after criticism from Democrats and Trump, but says work goes on
The director of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 vision for a complete overhaul of the federal government stepped down Tuesday after blowback from Donald Trump’s campaign, which has tried to disavow the program created by many of the former president’s allies and former aides. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Paul Dans’ exit comes after the project “completed exactly what it set out to do.” Roberts, who has emerged as a chief spokesman for the effort, plans to lead Project 2025 going forward.
BBC - 7/12/24: Project 2025: A wish list for a Trump presidency, explained
“A proposed Republican party platform has been approved at the party’s national convention, but a much more detailed proposal from a conservative think tank has also been drawing attention. Project 2025 was created by the Heritage Foundation and runs for nearly 900 pages. Trump has disavowed Project 2025, though critics have pointed out it was led by former officials in his administration.”