The Los Angeles City Council debated for more than an hour Wednesday whether Angelenos should have to show proof of vaccination before being allowed inside many public spaces.
But councilmembers could not agree on the issue and punted it to next Tuesday's council meeting.
City Council President Nury Martinez is a proponent of the vaccine requirement and said vaccinated residents should not be punished for the choices of the unvaccinated.
"The people who are playing by the rules, the people who have been vaccinated deserve to go back to normal," she said. "It is unfair to continue to put everyone else's lives on pause because some won't listen to science, data and the facts."
But District 15 Councilmember Joe Buscaino, who is running for mayor next year, withheld his vote during Wednesday's session, arguing that it's too hard to make sure folks follow such a rule.
"Unenforceable laws are ridiculous, and we also have a duty to provide clear information to the public," he said. "And if we don't, then we erode the public's trust in what we're doing here."
If the ordinance does pass next week, many businesses — including restaurants and gyms — will have to start checking customer's vaccination status starting Nov. 4. It's similar to policies already in effect in San Francisco and West Hollywood.
