The Brief

With the Trump administration again threatening mass firings of federal employees, Gov. Gavin Newsom must soon decide whether California landlords must accept Social Security benefit delays as an excuse not to evict tenants who fall behind on rent.

Earlier this month, the California Legislature passed Culver City Democratic Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Assembly Bill 246. The measure would give tenants legal protections in eviction proceedings if their Social Security benefits are “terminated, delayed, or reduced due to no fault of the tenant” and the federal problems caused them to miss rent.

Bryan introduced the bill this spring in the middle of the uproar over President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency campaign to slash the federal workforce and fears that Republicans would cut Social Security payments, which they ultimately didn’t do.

“It’s an assurance that if President Trump does come for our aunties and our granddads and our disabled brothers and sisters that California will be there to protect them and won’t let them slide into homelessness because their Social Security was cut off,” Bryan told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July.

Newsom hasn’t indicated whether he’ll sign the measure. Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos declined to comment. He has until Oct. 13 to make a decision.

Recent developments in Washington, D.C.could put fresh pressure on Newsom to sign the legislation. Trump’s top federal budget official, Russ Vought, sent a memo last week to the heads of federal agencies telling them to begin more mass firings of federal workers if the government shuts down because Congress can’t pass a spending bill. It’s not clear what Vought’s proposed cuts would mean for Social Security Administration staffing.

Democratic and Republican members of Congress are at an impasse on the government funding bill. Democrats are demanding Republicans restore billions of dollars of federal health care funding Republicans cut earlier this year. The federal government could shut down on Wednesday if they don’t reach an agreement. Social Security payments haven’t been interrupted during previous government shutdowns.

But the administration’s threat of more staffing cuts could pose a separate threat.

This year, DOGE cut roughly 12% of the Social Security Administration workforce, contributing to backlogs at field offices around the country. Customer service problems at Social Security offices are still happening, The New York Times reported last week.

What the bill means for California renters 

Roughly 6.5 million Californians receive Social Security benefits. It’s not clear how many of California’s estimated 17 million renters rely on the payments for rent.

But older people eligible for Social Security benefits are an increasing share of renters. One rental market research company estimated that the number of seniors renting in the U.S. has climbed by 30% over the past decade, including a 31% increase in the Los Angeles area and a 24% spike in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan addresses the media during a press conference with fellow California Democrats at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Aug. 18, 2025. Bryan is the author of a measure that would give renters a legal excuse to avoid an eviction if their Social Security payments are delayed by the Trump administration.

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Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

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CalMatters

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The pending law would give renters in a court eviction proceeding the right to cite delays in Social Security payments to avoid being kicked out of their home or apartment.

If a renter could prove the federal government was at fault for delaying benefits they use to pay rent, the court would be required to pause the eviction for up to six months. Within 14 days of the Social Security benefits being restored, a tenant would have to pay all past due rent or come up with “a mutually agreed upon payment plan” with their landlord.

The pending law would be in effect until Jan. 20, 2029, the day Trump leaves office from his second term.

Supporters include organizations advocating for the poor and disabled, such as California Council of the Blind and Disability Rights California.

“Due to recent actions by federal officials, including deep staffing cuts and office closures, any government program is at risk,” including Social Security, Eric Harris of Disability Rights California told lawmakers.

The influential labor organizations Service Employees International Union and the California Teachers Association, which donate heavily to legislators, also support the bill. The two labor groups and their affiliate unions have donated at least $27.9 million to legislators since 2015, according to CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database.

Opponents included the California apartment and building industries’ associations and the California Chamber of Commerce. In total, those three groups have donated at least $13.6 million to legislators since 2015, according to Digital Democracy.

Republicans and some Democrats oppose

Debra Carlton of the California Apartment Association told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July that any delays in rent prevent “senior mom and pop landlords” from paying their mortgages on time.

Sen. Roger Niello, a Republican representing the Sacramento suburbs, shared those worries with his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee. He also noted that “President Trump, both in his first term, as well as in this term, has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to touch Social Security.”

“If the president is good to his word, this bill will do absolutely nothing,” Bryan replied. “But … Californians can’t afford to trust this president. He’s shown several times early in this administration that he is not good to his word.”

No Republicans voted for the bill as it made its way through both chambers. Two Democrats also were apparently leery of it and voted against their colleague’s measure – a rarity in the California Legislature. As CalMatters has reported, Democrats vote “no” on average less than 1% of the time.

Norwalk Democratic Sen. Bob Archuleta cast the lone Democratic “no” vote for the measure on the Senate floor earlier this month. He didn’t explain his vote at the time, and a spokesperson didn’t return a message from CalMatters.

In the Assembly, Democratic member Anamarie Ávila Farías of Concord also joined Republicans in voting against it when it was before her chamber the final time.

In an interview last week, Ávila Farías, a former trustee of the California Housing Finance Agency, said was worried about the bill’s “unintended consequences.”

“There’s the flip side of individuals in the business of being property owners,” she said. “They also have struggles, too, when they are not able to meet their monthly obligations.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.