The Los Angeles Metropolis Council is in disaster. Secretly recorded audio revealed three council members — Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, together with a neighborhood labor chief who has now resigned — engaged in a racist dialog and the form of slimy backroom politicking that we normally see solely within the motion pictures.
However not everybody pays shut consideration to native politics, so that you will be forgiven if a few of these names, phrases and ideas are unfamiliar.
To start out in the beginning, the L.A. Metropolis Council is the legislative physique for the 4 million individuals dwelling within the metropolis of Los Angeles. Meaning certainly one of its most elementary capabilities is to create coverage for the town, usually by passing ordinances. Martinez led the council as its president.
The council’s ordinances are authorised or rejected by the town’s elected mayor. At the moment, that’s Eric Garcetti, however there’s a giant election subsequent month to choose the one that will succeed him. (Cedillo, in the meantime, misplaced his reelection bid within the June main and can go away workplace in December if he doesn’t resign first.)
November’s election makes all the revelations and resignations, potential and precise, a good greater deal. A whole lot of new leaders might be taking workplace when many present officeholders’ phrases finish in December.
Right here is a few background on L.A.’s 15 council members (Martinez resigned Wednesday, so technically there are 14 members now) and their statuses.
