Demi Moore apparently has friends in high places - one of them being Sacramento. A state lawmaker perturbed by the publicly released 9-1-1 call involving Moore has made it her mission to make sure law enforcement agencies cannot legally release private information from emergency calls. more ›

L.A.'s much-loathed, incessant traffic may actually benefit society and the environment should Governor Jerry Brown pass a renewable energy bill by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake). The bill would require the California Energy Commission - the state's primary energy policy and planning agency - to explore generating green electricity from passing cars, trucks and trains. more ›

Future Los Angeles voters may have the pleasure (or displeasure) of weighing in on a measure regulating condom use in adult films. Former adult performers - including two infected with HIV while working in the porn industry - join forces with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) this morning to host a press conference on the new L.A. City ballot initiative. more ›

Voters in the City of Los Angeles will not get to have a say on the November ballot in regards to a parcel tax whose revenue would in turn help fund the cash-strapped Los Angeles Public Library system. more ›

Today in their regular meeting the LA City Council "will consider provisions to a proposed medical marijuana ordinance they have struggled with for two years," according to CBS2. In a vote postponed from last week, the Council will discuss how to handle the city's many dispensaries. "Among the possibilities are capping the number of dispensaries and creating a tax that could help boost the city's depleted coffers." more ›

It's really happening. After two years of threats to close state parks, groups, including the California State Parks Foundation, have gotten together to put their own measure on the ballot. "We're done trying to convince them," the Foundation said in a e-mail newsletter this morning referencing politicians. "We're taking our case to the people." more ›

Although Equality California announced putting support a ballot measure to strike down Prop 8, another group, The Courage Campaign, said today they are shooting for 2010 and just raised $135,000 in the last two days--an amazing amount for August fundraising in an off-year during this economy--for research. Chatter among some within the anti-Prop 8 movement has the house divided. more ›

Backers of restoring gay marriage in California announced today that they will focus their energies on a 2012 ballot proposition, based on "information, research and feedback" from analysts, pollsters and the community-at-large. Equality California stepped back from attempting to win a measure on the 2010 ballot, but said in an e-mail that they refuse to wait until there is full confidence of winning, which could be later than the 2012 election. more ›

November's Prop 2 passed, essentially according rights to chickens--a fact pecked upon by 'No on 8' supporters in protest signs and chants in the election aftermath. Well, give a chicken an inch, and the whole animal kingdom is poised to take their mile, thanks to state lawmakers and the be-feathered or be-furred bills that are heading to Sacramento for approval. more ›

Everyday that goes by means it's getting closer to election day and for the first time, a Proposition A e-mail came into our e-mail inbox. Prop A is a City of Los Angeles measure that if voted on by two-thirds of the people, the city will add a $36/year special tax on each real property parcel for programs that address gang violence (to read through the language, Smart Voter has it). Tomorrow afternoon, LAPD Chief William Bratton, Sheriff Lee Baca and LAFD Chief Douglas Barry are all scheduled to publicly endorse the measure at City Hall.
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We had a very big story on LAist, that got a lot of people excited about the potential for a new system that would legalize weed for all adults to be put on the ballot this November. The excitement was fueled with the hope of many that the nearly 700,000 signatures by Sept. 5, 2008 appeared very likely. The only question that was at the front of everyone's mind was, "WHERE DO I SIGN?!" more ›