It's redistricting season in the city of Los Angeles, and the Log Cabin Republicans want to have their say in how city council district lines get redrawn. The local chapter is lobbying for gays to have their own district. Right now the neighborhoods that (anecdotally at least) have the highest concentration of gays are split up. more ›

The Los Angeles City Council is expected to consider a resolution supporting same day voter registration on Wednesday. If passed, the weight of city hall will go behind Senator Leland Yee’s SB 1140 and Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s AB 1531, both which would allow California voters to register the same day they vote. more ›

The Los Angeles City Council will decide Friday whether or not to officially support Santa Monica Assemblywoman Julia Brownley’s ban on plastic bags. The resolution (.pdf) formally supports the bill under the stipulations that legislators consider amendments that keep in-store recycle programs open. more ›

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An article from the Daily News takes a look at the toll the 6-month old smoking ban in Burbank is taking on its local workers, most of whom are flummoxed by the fact that a smoke break means breaking the law. According to the article, one local businessman "Barry Kessler, 48, owner of a downtown jewelry store bearing his family name, has led the charge against the anti-smoking ordinance. In the coming weeks he plans to bring together business owners and petition the council to ease up on smokers." more ›

Did you know that residents of Los Angeles County use 6 billion plastic bags a year, and only 5% of bags in the US are recycled? In the state of California the average person uses 552 bags, according to the environmental organization Heal the Bay. These bags are then left to choke up our waterways, landfills, streets, and urban landscapes, causing harm to animal life and our ecosystem. This is why Heal the Bay, along... more ›

On Monday, not many people in Los Angeles knew the name Jack Chiang, a city planner overseeing a project in Valley Village. Then on Tuesday, The Daily News published the Department of Planning staffer's name. Come Wednesday, the LA Times caught on. Why all the sudden popularity? Sometimes when you pick up the phone and dial a number, you call the wrong person and leave a message.A Los Angeles City Council panel voted Tuesday... more ›

In 2003, the New York City Council voted to oppose the war in Iraq. Two years later, they drew a resolution for the "orderly and rapid withdrawal" of Iraq. Now, three days short of exactly two years after New York, the Los Angeles City Council, in a 12-2 vote, voted yesterday to support pulling out of Iraq.The council said it approved the resolution because it wants the federal government to end the war, which... more ›

In early September, 104 years ago, in a hotel in Santa Monica, the immigrant mining millionaire, Colonel Griffith Jenkins Griffith, aimed a pistol at his wife during a fit of rage and shot her in the head. Because she survived, and thanks to his political connections, Griffith only did three years in San Quentin. more ›

When Angelenos want to find out what restaurants are good, they used to turn to Citysearch. Now, though, it appears that Yelp is the go to source for this kind of information. A recent perusal of the site shows that The Griddle is "the most bookmarked in the last month." So, what does this have to do with the LA City Council, you ask? more ›

Don Duncan of the California Patients Group in Hollywood talks to reporters through the door broken by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) As the Los Angeles City Council placed a moratorium on new facilities so rules could be drafted to better regulate them, federal agents raided 10 local medical marijuana facilities on Wednesday [LA Times]. What follows are pictures from the raid at the California Patients Group in Hollywood.... more ›

Today the DEA raided 10 marijuana dispensaries, made five arrests, and seized large quantities of marijuana and cash. All of this taking place the same day the Los Angeles City Council whipped out an ordinance calling for the federal government to stop singling out marujuana clinics that are legal under state law. more ›

Guest Day Editor Zuma Dogg will be joining LAist with a few posts throughout the day. Read his introductory interview here and check out his site as well as Mayor Sam where he contributes. He also wrote an article in the current edition of the LA Weekly Dear Los Angeles City Council, We all know legislation, administration and meetings take up a good amount of your time, whether ZD shows up that day, or not.... more ›

LAist Editor Tony Pierce has blogged here non-stop for more than a year deserving a well-earned vacation (and did he ever earn it). While out of town, we decided to have a little fun and bring some guest day editors in from around the blogLAsphere. Monday we had Green LA Girl and Tuesday saw Fred Camino of MetroRiderLA. Today, get ready for Zuma Dogg who has his own website, but also contributes to Mayor... more ›

Don't call it a comeback, but Hollywood Blvd. will soon look very different. Today the Los Angeles City Council approved a $400 million, 7-building, mix-use complex that will feature 1,000 apartments as well as several shops and restaurants. Built on the parking lots around the Pantages theater in the once-glorious center of Hollywood (Hollywood & Vine), the council voted unanimously to change zoning laws to allow for construction to begin at the end of... more ›

While it may be true that no one walks in LA, people do ride their bikes, and this week is your chance to ride your bike to work while feeling superior to your coworkers. Metro will kickoff its 13th annual celebration of Bike to Work Week with a bike rally and fair featuring Ed Begley, Jr. and a free concert by the Ditty Bops at Los Angeles City Hall, Monday, May 14. Metro also... more ›

DWP brought in crews from Nevada and Owens Valley, made 16-hour shifts and is working fast to get LA back up and running after yesterday's wind attack, which left 109,000 customers in the dark (that would be 8% of the 1.4 million DWP customers): Remarks by DWP Commission President David Nahai Regarding LA Windstorm Power Outages April 13, 2007 9:30 AM Good morning. Thank you for joining us this morning. I’d like to begin by... more ›

Even though "experts" are saying that Chicago will be the US city that the USOC will choose to represent the USA as host city nominee for the 2016 Summer Games, today the California State Senate approved a quarter-billion dollar guarantee if LA does get the nod. From an excited LA2016 press release: The California State Senate today voted overwhelmingly in favor of AB300, previously approved 65-1 by the State Assembly, which authorizes $250 million as... more ›

The "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act'' "A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent lightbulbs as part of California's groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming... 'Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications,'' California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine [D-Van Nuys] said on Tuesday."(New York Times) Let... more ›

The Mayor Who Wasn't Is The Solar Panel Man Los Angeles Mayor challenger in the 2005 election, Robert Hertzberg: “California does have this great image,” said Mr. Hertzberg, a former speaker of the California State Assembly and the co-founder of an investment firm, Renewable Capital. “But Europe still is much greener than anywhere in the United States, by several orders of magnitude.” His thin and flexible solar panels work in overcast and in rain.... more ›

"We need to ban billboard blight in Los Angeles as we strive to make our city greener and more livable!" ~ CBBB The answer is yes according to the CBBB. The Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight says that Los Angeles City Council unanimously agreed "to settle a lawsuit that would allow hundreds of new or illegal billboards to get permits; allow second billboards on existing structures; and allow high-tech, digital billboards which can display... more ›

8% - Crime won't drop that much next year if Chief Bratton's overtime funding request doesn't go through. (LAT) 459 - Number of seats held in the California state senate and house. Redistricting is on the rise. (Daily News) 1.4 Million - Number of uninsured drivers in Los Angeles County. (LAT) 1911 - Year Crisco became to be. Los Angeles City Council is looking into banning the use of trans fat in restaurants. (Daily... more ›

After hearing emotional testimony yesterday by the African-American LA firefighter who claimed racism when his cohorts mixed dog food into his spaghetti, the Los Angeles City Council could decide today whether they will overrule the Mayor's veto of the multi-million dollar settlement. Tennie Pierce (no relation) claimed yesterday that the photos that showed him apparently shaving some fellow firemen were all done in fun, quite different than the pet food that was served to... more ›

I’m all for the Hollywood revival, but this time the powers that be have taken it one step too far. Tonight, low and behold, is the last night for Daddy’s. For those of us that have spent many a night, many a birthday party and drank many a cocktail at this Hollywood bar, it is a true loss. more ›

Mayor Sam points us toward a new blog dedicated to opposing Measure R, a controversial ethics reform ballot measure that encompasses both campaign ethics and the changing of Los Angeles City Council term limits from 2 to 3. It's a sore subject because it looks like combining new restrictions on campaign contributions with term limits is included simply to entice voters to approve it. It's a sore subject because the bill went onto this November's ballot expediently and seeminly under the radar. It's a sore subject because Neighborhood Councils were not given time to comment on it. It's a sore subject because the City Attorney, Ethics Commission and other entities said it was not legal and, well, not ethical. more ›

"Lopez and producing partner Simon Fields have teamed with the [FX] cable network on the half-hour project 'Echo Park,' a comedic look at the world of yuppie, Latino and hipster cultures within Los Angeles' Echo Park neighborhood." ~ Variety After Automobile Club of Southern California & USAA dropped zip code-based auto insurance rates, State Farm, the largest auto insurance carrier in California, will cut premiums too. Lots of Police-Related News: LAPD's Crime Offensive on... more ›

inside immigration In two stories, the LA Times looks at families and immigration. First they look at what it's like to be an undocumented parent with children, born in the US, who have legal status; then there are the stories of four couples that immigrated from Mexico to California: the Padillas, Cardenases, the Huizars and Reyeses. If those names sound familiar, it's because each couple now has a son serving on the Los Angeles City Council. more ›

The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works has issued a "helpful" FAQ for those playing at home and has scheduled a slew of community meetings (see below for the list) to explain the changes. more ›

A California state appellate court is calling on local elected officials to make a New Year’s resolution to listen up—to their constituents, that is. more ›