The Brief

Many people seeking elected office in Los Angeles County are running unopposed this November compared to four years ago — about 87% more, according to data from the county Registrar of Voters.

While it’s not unusual to see races with only one candidate, it does raise questions about why it's happening: Are people losing interest? Do other responsibilities, like child care and salary needs, stop them from running? Are they dissuaded by the current political climate?

Whatever the answers, the result means voters won’t have a choice about who fills seats on a variety of government bodies, including school districts, water districts and city councils, all of which affect residents’ daily lives.

Antwone Roberts, director of democracy and equity for California Community Foundation, told LAist that civic engagement isn’t just about getting involved when an election is approaching.

“It's really understanding how being civically engaged becomes a tool for the betterment of the individual and the community at large,” he said.

Some experts say there are parts of Southern California that are known as “civic deserts,” areas that have disproportionately low participation in local elections when compared to the county at large.

Roberts noted that this disparity can make it more difficult to address severe inequities and systemic problems.

Which L.A. races are impacted

This year, there are 144 local races in which a candidate is running unopposed, according to the Registrar’s Office. In November 2020, there were 77 unopposed candidates on the ballot, including two races with no candidates at all.

This issue isn’t confined to L.A. County, said Neal Kelley, former registrar of voters for Orange County. It’s seen across Southern California.

“It's certainly a lot more common than the general public is probably aware of,” he told LAist.

The seats in which only one candidate is seeking office include:

• 95 school district races in L.A. County, including seats in Burbank, El Segundo, Palmdale, and West Covina
• 3 state water district races in Walnut Valley
• 10 county water district races
• 10 municipal water district races
• 4 water agency races in Antelope Valley-East Kern 
• 11 city-level races, including council seats in Glendora and Santa Clarita
• 8 irrigation district races
• 1 health district race for Beach Cities
• 1 library district race for Altadena
• 1 recreation and park district race for Westfield 

Local government races, rather than national ones, have a much larger impact on our everyday lives. These elected officials are who’s making decisions about housing, parks, and the kind of things that affect a neighborhood on a day-to-day basis.

A polling station worker prepares to hand out 'I Voted' stickers in Burbank, California.

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Why are there so many unopposed seats?

Experts say there are many reasons why people may not be running for elected office — including transportation issues, child care concerns, and work responsibilities.

Christian Grose, a political science professor at the University of Southern California, told LAist that fewer people may be interested in running for office because they don’t see local politics as a sustainable career option.

The pay can be low, and the jobs can be time-consuming and difficult. For example, Downey City Council members made nearly $12,000 last year, and Burbank City Council members earn around $19,000 in regular pay, according to the State Controller’s Office.

A candidate who comes from a lower-income community, for example, may not be able to afford to take on the expense of running for office or the ability to take a job that pays less than others.

The political climate can also have an effect, especially as personal attacks and public feuds seem to become increasingly common.

“It's always a conflict,” Kelley said. “But at the end of the day, that's what politics is, right? It's consensus and sometimes it is conflict. So I think it does impact it for sure.”

Almaluz Miranda, left, talks to Julia Brito, right, at the Boyle Heights Senior Center.

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Grose added that many local newsrooms have shuttered, and more news outlets are focusing on directing their stories to a national audience. That drop in coverage and attention to issues closer to home can affect interest, and awareness, in local governance.

H. Eric Schockman, a professor emeritus at Woodbury University in Burbank, agrees.

He told LAist that the media, often referred to as the fourth branch of government, has been “swatted away” — meaning its access and impact for some audiences has weakened — which affects democracy. Younger audiences may be used to getting information for free, and everyone has fewer places to go to for the information they need to stay informed.

“And that is such a scandal,” he said. “We all know it, but we don't admit it because everybody wants news cheap.”

What about ‘civic deserts’

Roberts said the California Community Foundation has identified “civic deserts” in Southern California, areas that have disproportionately low participation when compared to the county at large.

They include South, East, and Southeast L.A., as well as the San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Antelope valleys.

Broadly speaking, Roberts said, participation has been statistically lower among historically underrepresented communities, including Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Asian American and Pacific Islander populations.

Research has shown that people are more likely to engage if they have a direct call to action from someone they trust, whether that’s a local elected official or community-based organization.

A flag is taped to the door as voters cast their ballots at the Boyle Heights Senior Center.

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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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“When elected officials represent the diversity of their constituents, they're more likely and better positioned to really champion equitable policies that address those systemic inequities,” he said.

Civic engagement is the backbone of a healthy democracy, and Roberts noted that more people participating strengthens representation, increases diversity, and fosters a more inclusive political process.

How to get involved

If you’re curious about running for office, experts say start off by seeing who is in the seat, study the issues, do some research, and meet voters.

Going to the city council or district meetings, engaging in public comment, and talking to your elected officials are also important stepping stones. You can see if there’s a need that's not being met in the community in which you could make a difference.

A lot of people who end up running for local office get started because they’re unhappy with something, or their elected official isn’t responsive to their concerns, Grose said.

But you have to be engaged to figure out what matters.

Roberts recommends looking at civic engagement as a spectrum, not just voting or running for office. That can include going to community events, connecting with service organizations, or participating in other opportunities, like the census, as a jumping off point.

Find what lights a fire in your belly, and follow your passions. Realize that you can have a bigger role to play, and identify what you can offer the people around you, not just those who support you.

LAist also has the voter guides you need to make your most-informed vote ever, and you can access all of them here.

The Los Angeles City Council decided Tuesday to put off the full effects of a major new state housing law by allowing low-rise apartment buildings in some neighborhoods where such housing has long been banned.

All council members voted in favor of those plans except for Traci Park, who was absent from the meeting.

California’s Senate Bill 79 is set to take effect July 1. The law overrides local limits on housing development by allowing apartment buildings between five and nine stories tall near train stations and rapid bus stops.

However, cities are allowed to postpone those changes until 2030 by developing their own incremental plans for more housing. L.A. elected leaders have chosen to delay. They’re doing so through the city’s new Low-Rise Ordinance, which aims to allow buildings up to four stories tall in 57 neighborhoods near transit lines.

Why it matters

L.A. lawmakers have tried many approaches to bring down L.A.’s high rents. But they have consistently voted to stop apartment developers from encroaching on the nearly three-quarters of city residential land reserved for single-family homes.

Pushed by state lawmakers, city leaders are now having to accept some changes in single-family neighborhoods located near public transit lines.

The reaction

Some local officials and homeowners have expressed frustration over new state limits on their ability to stop development in low-density zones. But advocates for more development said the council’s decision will help address high rents by allowing more housing in areas that have long been off-limits to new apartments.

“The City Council voted to open up high-resource single-family neighborhoods near transit stations,” said Scott Epstein, policy director with Abundant Housing L.A. “This reform is long overdue and will help build a future where Angelenos of all incomes can find homes in the neighborhoods of their choice.”

Where will the projects be allowed?

Officials with the city’s planning department said residents can see whether Low-Rise Ordinance projects will be allowed in their neighborhood by clicking on this interactive map and making two selections from the “layer list” menu: “Opportunity Station Sites Eligible for Low Rise” and “Sites Eligible for Low Rise Outside of Opportunity Station.”

The map shows that some of the areas eligible for new apartment buildings under this plan include Westside neighborhoods within a half-mile of the E Line’s Westwood/Rancho Park station, pockets of the San Fernando Valley near G Line stops, and parts of Eagle Rock along Colorado Boulevard’s planned North Hollywood to Pasadena rapid bus line.

Is this a done deal?

Both plans — the decision to delay full SB 79 implementation, and the new Low-Rise Ordinance — now go to Mayor Karen Bass for final approval. Council members are also considering some tweaks they say would help Low-Rise Ordinance projects get built.

Those changes would include letting developers build denser projects if they reserve more units for low-income renters, as well as rules that would let developers build ground-level parking instead of costlier underground parking. The council’s planning committee voted Tuesday to forward those suggestions to the full City Council for further debate.

There’s a new tool to fight illegal fireworks this Fourth of July: drones.

“A drone’s real-time aerial view can help officers assess situations faster, improve safety, support faster response times and ensure the right resources are sent where they’re needed most,” the Anaheim Police Department stated in an Instagram post.

Anaheim's department is the latest law enforcement agency using the technology to quickly identify illegal fireworks use. The Downey City Council is expected to vote Tuesday night on potential new fines and new rules that would allow local law enforcement to use drones to patrol neighborhoods for illegal fireworks usage.

How it works

Here's how the tech is put to use: Seconds after authorities receive a call reporting illegal fireworks activity, drones can take to the air, hovering above neighborhoods and businesses to find a specific location and an offender. The surveillance devices are equipped with night vision and zoom lenses that allow first responders to record high definition videos right from their Real Time Crime Center at the station.

Then, officers can determine whether to send out a patrol car or issue a citation for the incident.

Why it matters

The city’s drone usage comes as law enforcement agencies across Southern California brace for the annual flood of complaints about illegal firework use at this time of the year. Drones make the most effective use of time and resources, experts say.

“We'll typically see about 2,000 calls and about 300 related to fireworks,” Anaheim’s chief communications officer Mike Lyster explained about the Fourth of July. “It really is a better use of resources on what is always a very, very busy holiday for us.”

Drones allow officials to collect enough evidence to issue these citations. In Anaheim, the punishment starts at $1,000 and climbs to $3,000 by the third offense. But authorities say the goal is to curb illegal fireworks use altogether due to the risk of injury and wildfires.

Lyster hopes that people will think twice about using illegal fireworks this holiday — not just because of the fines — but because of its negative impact on local communities.

“The Palisades fire was ultimately started by illegal fireworks, and sadly, not in our city, but in our neighboring city, a young Anaheim girl died in an illegal fireworks incident last year,” Lyster said.

Where are drones already in use?

More cities are testing this method in order to crack down on illegal firework use. Sacramento, San Bernardino and Riverside are just a few of the other areas that have adopted this technology in recent years.

How do I know what's legal?

If you have any questions about what is legal or not in your community, a quick Google search can help.

Each county goes by different regulations for the types of fireworks you can use — if at all.

For example, parts of Anaheim allow “safe and sane” fireworks to be used only on the Fourth of July between 10 a.m and 10 p.m. This includes non-explosive, non-aerial devices like fountains, sparklers and smoke balls. State-approved fireworks will have a State Fire Marshal seal.

LAist staffer Anjanette Gile also contributed to this report.

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

Your neighborhood has a reporter. Have you met them yet?

On Saturday, coffee shops across L.A. are turning into places where you can tell a journalist exactly what’s been bugging you about your block … while drinking amazing coffee.

From Boyle Heights to Silver Lake to Inglewood to Long Beach, local reporters will be set up at neighborhood coffee shops from from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — to hear what’s on your mind. Got a tip about a pothole that’s been eating tires for years? A landlord the city keeps ignoring? A community hero nobody’s written about? We want to hear it all!

It’s part of Local News Day LA, a pop-up series organized by The LA Local that connects you with your local reporter and give you a chance to become the source instead of just the reader.

LAist has been meeting community members in person through LAist Listens tabling events by popping up at local businesses.

See below for the full list of participating media outlets and coffee shops — The LA Local and our media partners hope you’ll join us:

LAist will be joining The LA Local and other local media partners for Local News Day LA on June 27.

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Where to find a journalist

1. The LA Local – Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake will be hosted by Open Market
2. The LA Local – Inglewood and South LA will be hosted by Asteroid Vinyl Cafe
3. Boyle Heights Beat will be hosted by Picaresca Cafe
4. CalMatters will be hosted by Yia Caffe 
5. Calo News will be hosted by Cruzita’s Deli and Cafe
6. The Eastsider will be hosted by Rosebud Coffee (Highland Park location)
7. LAist will be hosted by Cafe Calle
8. Los Angeles Radio Collective will be hosted by Spoke Bicycle Cafe
9. LA Sentinel will be hosted by Patria Coffee
10. LA Taco will be hosted by Cafecito Organico (Silverlake location)
11. LA Public Press will be hosted by Holy Grounds Coffee & Tea
12. Long Beach Post will be hosted by Wrigley Coffee
13. Q Voice News will be hosted by Hot Java
14. USC Annenberg Media will be hosted by South LA Cafe (Western location)

Come enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea) with us while supplies last. 

A coalition of 17 states and a trade association representing U.S. wholesalers and distributors have sued California to block the enforcement of a stringent recycling law that aims to reduce plastic packaging waste.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, argues that California’s recently finalized regulations that will gradually require companies to scale back single-use plastics and ensure all packaging is recycling or compostable should be struck down. The plaintiffs called the regulations “onerous mandates” that will cause steep price increases in everyday necessities that will be passed on, at least in part, to consumers.

“Once again, California is trying to enact a policy that negatively impacts the rest of the country. If California goes unchecked, consumers will be forced to pay more for basic necessities,” Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who led the coalition, said in a news release.

The law, called the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, was enacted in 2022.

“Virtually every product packaged or shipped in plastic containers, as well as a significant number of other types of packaging materials that merely incorporate plastics, fall into the Act’s remarkable sweep,” the lawsuit said.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, which represents companies that import and distribute goods in California, also joined the lawsuit.

“California is not entitled to pronounce nationwide policies,” Eric Hoplin, the trade association’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Because the Act extends California’s regulatory reach far beyond its borders and brings within its sweep conduct wholly unconnected to California, the Act violates principles of federalism, the horizontal separation of powers, and due process.”

The lawsuit argues the law violates both the U.S. and California constitutions. It asks the court to declare California’s law invalid and unenforceable, and halt its implementation.

The lawsuit names as defendants Zoe Heller, director of California’s recycling agency known as CalRecycle, and the Circular Action Alliance, a nonprofit involved with implementing the law.

Melanie Turner, a spokesperson for CalRecycle, said in an emailed statement that the agency does not comment on pending litigation and that it remained focused on implementing the law.

The alliance said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit and closely monitoring developments while at the same time working to implement the law’s “ambitious goals.”

In a May news release announcing regulations under the law, state officials said the changes would fight plastics pollution while protecting the interests of taxpayers and local governments.

“California is shifting the responsibility of managing single-use plastic and packaging onto the producers. New packaging reforms lower waste costs for communities and decrease garbage and pollution across the state,” Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia said in a statement. “This approach pushes producers to innovate and design packaging that truly supports a circular economy.”

Joining Nebraska in the lawsuit were 16 other states with Republican attorneys general: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.Environmental groups also have sued over the law. A coalition that included the Natural Resources Defense Council recently filed a complaint over what it said in a news release were “weakened” final regulations for the “landmark” law.