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Environmental group in LA sues federal government over offshore oil drilling
CHLA awarded $8.3M grant to study long-term effects of COVID in kids, young adults
M O N D AY, J A N U A RY 31- F E B R U A RY 06, 2022
V I S I T A R C A D I AW E E K LY. C O M
V O L U M E 26,
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Persistent pandemic spurs extended eviction protections in LA County BY CITY NEWS SERVICE
D
espite vehement opposition from one of its members, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to extend eviction protections for many pandemic-impacted tenants in unincorporated areas through the end of the year. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl championed the extension of the eviction protection and associated freeze on rent hikes, insisting that despite signs the current surge of COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant of the virus is waning, thousands of people are still facing financial hardship and could face eviction for their inability to pay thousands of dollars in back rent. “I’m very happy to see our businesses reopening and people going back to work,” Kuehl said. “... But the 250,000 people who became infected in the last seven days most likely do not have sick leave. And so when they have to quarantine in a home or place that they count on to be able to sleep and try to get well, they are not earning money, because they’re not being paid for being sick. This is happening to hundreds of thousands of our residents every week.”
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys, was the lone vote against the Board’s decision to extend eviction protections to tenants in unincorporated areas of LA County. | Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger
But the extension met with the ire of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who cast the sole vote against the move and said landlords
have suffered enough financial harm -- sometimes by tenants taking advantage of the eviction moratorium to avoid
paying rent. Barger said county businesses have remained open despite the Omicronfueled COVID surge, and
the county is even preparing to host a Super Bowl. She also said vaccination rates are growing, and combined with residents
who have developed natural immunity, “we are effectively living with COVID-19 in our community.” “We do know we can keep our economy open as cases ebb and flow. This was proven this winter,” Barger said. “Landlords are saying enough is enough,” she said, calling on the county to develop a plan for phasing out eviction protections. She called the extension of an eviction moratorium “a gross expansion of renter protection policy with no clear end in sight.” Supervisor Janice Hahn also expressed concern about the impact on landlords, and she called for the county’s lobbyists in Sacramento to work to increase funding for impacted property owners -- saying, “Landlords are people too.” In the end, however, Hahn supported the extension of tenant protections. The move was loudly opposed by landlords and apartment and rental associations. “No other business sector has been forced to
See Eviction protections Page 6
LA County Board calls for report on response to possible overturning of Roe v. Wade BY CITY NEWS SERVICE
T
he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed its staff to coordinate with Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health organizations to discuss ways the
county can respond if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the federal abortion rights of the landmark Roe v. Wade case. The board motion by Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Sheila Kuehl directs the county Department of
Health Services, Department of Public Health and county counsel to confer with the outside organizations and return with a report in 30 days. “If Roe is overturned, states would have the authority to either ban
abortions or impose restrictions that would restrict abortion access,” according to the motion. “Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators have declared their intent that California be open to out-of-state women seeking access to
abortion and are considering various proposals including subsidies for outof-state women.” According to the motion, county health officials and local advocacy groups met earlier this month to discuss the possible implications
of Roe v. Wade being overturned. “The panel discussed how the influx of women from other states to Califor-
See Roe v. Wade Page 7