Los Angeles City Council
Gil Cedillo is a Los Angeles city councilman representing the 1st District, (Highland Park, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, parts of Koreatown). A former California state assemblyman and author of the California DREAM Act, Cedillo has also served as a Democratic state senator representing the 22nd District (Los Angeles, Alhambra, Maywood, San Marino, South Pasadena, and Vernon).
An LA Councilman wants companies to disclose border wall bids Photo by Scott L LA City Councilman Gil Cedillo has introduced a motion that would require companies seeking contracts with the City to publically disclose if they are also submitting contracting bids to build President Trump's border wall. He joins similar efforts in the city of San Francisco and in the state legislature. He cites past examples like the boycotting of companies that did business with South Africa during apartheid. But the LA Chamber of Commerce says it is "inappropriate" for the city to make a "value judgment" about the qualifications of the bidder. Besides, should such a test apply to companies who built parts of the wall for previous administrations?
Gil Cedillo on housing, gentrification and why he took developer money There is an unexpectedly interesting city council election next week in Los Angeles. Incumbent Gil Cedillo is facing first-time challenger Joe Bray-Ali. Bray-Ali’s campaign blew up after it was revealed he made repeated offensive comments online. But Cedillo is also under fire for taking money from LA developer Geoff Palmer, and not being responsive to his constituents. We hear from Cedillo today. Gil Cedillo is in the May 16th runoff election for LA City Council District 1. (Photo by Amy Ta)
One Small Step toward Housing the Homeless The LA City Council today made good on an eight-week-old promise. It declared a " shelter crisis ," designed to pave the way to temporary housing for some 19,000 people who sleep on the streets of the city. We hear from a reporter covering the story, a councilman who put forth the plan, and from homeowners and advocates for the homeless.
The Mobility Plan Gets Another Look at LA City Hall Several projects approved by the LA City Council have recently been stopped by lawsuits — after they were already under way. They include a 22-story apartment building, a Target shopping center and two skyscrapers called the Millennium Towers. Now the Council may rescind, revise and re-enact its controversial Mobility Plan 2035 , in hopes of preventing the same thing from happening again.
Los Angeles Declares a "State of Emergency" on Homelessness Homelessness has increased by some 12% in Los Angeles since last year. The 4000 people downtown on Skid Row are just 15% of the total on the streets of the city. Today, members of a City Council committee called homeless an "emergency," and called for $100 million for housing and other services.
LA Will Clear Homeless Encampments, Sieze Property Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council passed two ordinances making it easier for the LAPD to sweep up street encampments on Skid Row and in other parts of the city. Instead of giving 72-hours notice before possessions are taken away, the police can seize property in just 24 hours. The LA Times reports that the stage has been set for “the first major homeless sweeps in the city in decades.” The only dissenting vote was cast by Gil Cedillo, whose district includes Highland Park, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights and parts of Koreatown.
Will California Have a DREAM Act of Its Own? Undocumented workers bring children into this country, and thousands of them grow up to graduate from high school. Now they need help on the next step toward the "American Dream." That's according to State Senator Gil Cedillo, an LA Democrat, who's pushing a bill to provide them with aid for public colleges and universities. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed similar legislation , but Governor Brown has indicated he might go the other way.
Governor Brown Signs California Dream Act In Washington and in Sacramento, so-called Dream Acts are designed to help high-school graduates who were brought to the US at an early age and whose lack of documentation stops them in their tracks, even though they may have succeeded in school. There has not been progress in Washington but, yesterday in Sacramento, Governor Brown signed a bill he said would promote "a more inclusive California and a more educated California." But there's a catch. This Dream Act only gives easier access to privately funded educational aid. State Senator Gil Cedillo, Democrat of Los Angeles, is the author.
Hospitals, the Homeless and 'Patient Dumping' on Skid Row There was public outrage recently when a driver forced a quadriplegic man out of an ambulance into a gutter on a skid row. Last year, a woman was left wandering in the same neighborhood with an IV still in her arm. There are 55 recent examples of what's called "patient dumping," but only one prosecution, partly because there's no specific law against the practice. Moreover, hospitals ask what they're supposed to do with 90,000 homeless in Los Angeles County, and just 40 beds for the chronically ill with no place to go. Today, Democratic State Senator Gil Cedillo announced plans to remedy that. We hear from Cedillo, the hospital association and advocates for the homeless.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
