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LA Sheriff Villanueva May Get Back Some Of His Frozen Money
File: L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva at the graduation ceremony for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy class 433 at East Los Angeles College, Friday, January 4, 2019. (Kyle Grillot for LAist)
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors may give Sheriff Alex Villanueva part of what he wants: They'll consider a motion next Tuesday that would unfreeze $83 million of Sheriff's Department funds.
Villanueva wants all $143 million the supervisors froze last fall in an effort to pressure him to eliminate tens of millions of dollars in red ink. He's still running a deficit.
The sheriff says he needs the money to keep processing rape kits, replace old patrol cars, keep search-and-rescue helicopters aloft, and maintain hygienic conditions in the jails during the pandemic.
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Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who co-sponsored the motion, says the $83 million "will totally cover everything he said he needed."
The money would include $7.6 million for face shields, gloves, N95 masks, paper jumpsuits, booties, thermometers and cleaning supplies.
READ OUR FULL REPORT:
LA Supes May Unfreeze $83M Of Sheriff's Budget For Coronavirus, Other Issues
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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