FREE
Rep. Correa calls for federal investigation of Anaheim tourism funding
Federal assistance on way for businesses impacted by 10 Freeway fire
INDEPENDENT
PG 02
MONDAY, FEBRUARYY 05- FEBRUARYY 11, 2024
VISIT BURBANKINDEPENDENT.COM
Labor unions, LA city officials back bill aimed at regulating driverless cars By City News Service
VOL. 12,
LA reaching out to renters as COVID-era eviction protections end
M
An autonomous vehicle cruises through Austin, Texas. | Photo courtesy of Maxx@night/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
International, said their union represents more than 150,000 members throughout the state. He criticized the roll out of autonomous vehicles because they are causing accidents, obstructing safety personnel and causing congestion. He noted Waymo, a ride-hail service that offers electric, self-driving cars in multiple cities across the country, is now being tested in the streets of LA and impacting their members — UPS and other delivery drivers. “We need to stand up to the big tech companies,” Griswold said. “Residents of California should not be lab rats for big tech and Wall Street. Local officials and residents have to say no. SB 915 will change that.” Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On its website, Waymo states its mission is “to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going.” Companies like Waymo and Cruise, which develop
autonomous vehicles, have come under fire since October 2023, after a Cruise Chevrolet Bolt EV hit and ran over a pedestrian. California agencies then suspended Cruise’s permits to test its vehicles in the state, which resulted in the company cutting its workforce by 24% as a part of a move to focus on safety, Carscoops reported, an online trade publication. Waymo recently released data that showed its vehicles experience an 85% reduction in injury-causing crashes and a 57% reduction in police-reported crash rates compared to human-driven vehicles. Waymo compiled the data from 7.14 million miles of autonomous vehicle rides conducted in LA, Phoenix and San Francisco. However, last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that Waymo vehicles were involved in at least 150 crashes. Lindsay Dougherty, Teamsters International vice
NO. 158
By Jose Herrera, City News Service
O
n the steps of City Hall surrounded by several members of a labor union and some elected officials, Sen. Dave Cortese Friday spoke on a bill introduced, which aims to empower cities to further regulate autonomous vehicles. In early January, Cortese, D-San Jose, who is also the chairman of California’s Senate Labor Committee, introduced SB 915, also known as the Autonomous Vehicle Service Deployment and Data Transparency Act. The senator’s office noted the bill arrived amid “growing concerns” about autonomous vehicles and public safety as hundreds of driverless cars navigate the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles, and documented reports of serious accidents. “What gave rise to this bill is the fact that for whatever reason — perhaps it’s just the fact that this technology did not exist before in the state of California,” Cortese said during Friday’s news conference. “Unlike any other kind of motor vehicle operations, it does not allow local governments do what they do best, which is to tailor roads and highway motor vehicle regulations the way they need to be — whether it’s Los Angeles or Humboldt, whether its Compton or right here by City Hall.” Another challenge that autonomous vehicles pose, he added, is that it could negatively impact the economy and possibly result in the loss of employment opportunities. Cortese thanked Teamsters, the labor union that represents workers in various industries, such as transportation, food, insurance and more, for sponsoring his bill. Chris Griswold, the president-at large of Teamsters
PG 24
president for the Western Region and the secretarytreasurer of Teamsters Local 399 located in Hollywood, emphasized that SB 915 will “do what other politicians have failed to do,” as well as government agencies such as the DMV and the California Public Utilities Commission, which are tasked with regulating autonomous vehicle technology. LA City Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez, Eunisses Hernandez and Nithya Raman joined the news conference and showed their support for SB 915. Soto-Martinez noted he would be introducing a resolution formally backing the bill during Friday’s City Council meeting. It will need approval by the full council before it can be adopted. The councilman said the resolution is intended to send a clear message that elected leaders of LA want to ensure local control over city streets, and enshrine the ability to regulate robo taxis and other forms of autonomous vehicles.
any renters in the city of Los Angeles will face new burdens to remain housed beginning Thursday, as COVID-era protections end and overdue rent accrued during the pandemic period must be paid. Renters are expected to pay overdue rent accrued between Oct. 1, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2023, and those unable to pay could face eviction notices. But, in an effort to prevent renters from losing their homes, city officials continue to spread the message about available resources and discourage anyone from self-evicting. “We must do all that we can to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Tuesday. “Feb. 1 is around the corner, and I want to make sure that tenants know that they have rights and can seek help from the city. Angelenos who are facing evictions because of rent owed from the COVID-19 pandemic should stay in their homes and contact the city for assistance.” All residential rental units in the city have “just cause” protections, meaning a legal reason must be declared for eviction to take place. In non-rent-controlled units, these protections take effect after six months or at the end of the first lease term, whichever comes first. The Los Angeles City Council voted last week to keep eviction protections going for any applicant who has been approved for rent relief and is awaiting those funds. In the latest round of rent relief, the city made available $30 million to help tenants, but it has only distributed $7.9 million as of Monday, according to reports. City Controller Kenneth Mejia released a tool analyzing eviction notice data from February to December 2023. Within that time frame, landlords sent more than 77,000 notices to LA renters. About 96% of those notices were about overdue rent, with an average amount owed at $3,774. Using a mix of data from the Housing Department and the controller’s tool, city workers are knocking on doors and targeting households that are in need of resources and information. Officials want to ensure that renters understand the type of notice they’re receiving as well. A pay or quit notice, for example, does not typically require a response, but the renter should reach out to the Housing Department. An eviction process usually begins after a three-day notice, and the renter should have received an unlawful detainer, or UD, notice. Renters usually must respond within five days to a notice. For assistance with UD response, renters can visit selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/eviction-tenant/respond. The LA Housing Department Hotline can be reached at 866-557-7368. A representative can help determine what options are available for callers. The Housing Department also has four locations in the city: Its Central/Sunset office at 1910 Sunset Blvd., Ste. See COVID-era rents Page 24