What To Know About Measure BB In The June 7 Primary Election

Our Voter Game Plan team is answering all your questions about voting in the June 7 primary election. We've gotten a handful of similar questions from voters in L.A. city, asking:

You'll only see Measure BB on your ballot if you're registered to vote in the city of Los Angeles — if you're registered elsewhere in L.A. County, it won't be on your ballot. It hasn't gotten much attention so far; nobody's formed any committees to raise money in favor or against it.

Here's what the measure would do:

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Measure BB would amend L.A.’s City Charter so that when the city opens up competitive bidding for contracts, it can give preference to contractors based in the city of L.A. Right now, it can give preference to contractors within the state of California or L.A. County, so Measure BB would essentially narrow that geography to prioritize contractors within the city first.

It doesn’t require the city to give this preference in all cases; the City Council and mayor get to draft laws that dictate when and how these preferences are applied.

Measure BB just needs a simple majority (more than 50% of the vote) in the June 7 election to pass.

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You can read the full text of the measure on the LA City Clerk’s website. It also has official arguments for and against the measure.

Proponents include City Councilmembers Paul Koretz, Bob Blumenfield, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson, City Controller Ron Galperin, and a few high-profile members of industry and business groups. They argue that Measure BB would help businesses within the city of L.A., who have to deal with higher taxes, rents, and general costs of doing business than other companies elsewhere in the county (say, Santa Clarita or Lancaster).

Only one person has signed the official argument against Measure BB: a taxpayer named Nancy Jeffers. Her criticism is with the wording in the charter itself, not the proposed change. Jeffers takes issue with the fact that it doesn’t specify exactly how the bidding preference should be awarded (city ordinances, which don't require voter approval, will address specifics like that).

If you have more questions about voting in the June 7 primary, check out our full list of guides and FAQs, or ask us anything below.