Horvath motion on Whiteman Airport approved
LA County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath (D – Western Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley, including Pacoima, Panorama City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Calabasas, Malibu, Sylmar) won full Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approval Tuesday for a motion directing the county’s Department of Public Works to identify immediate safety measures at Whiteman Airport and demand accountability from federal agencies following the April 20 plane crash near the Pacoima facility.
At yesterday’s Board meeting, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Deputy Director Steve Burger confirmed that a temporary pause on pursuing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants during an ongoing study did not impact airport safety.
Burger also confirmed that Whiteman Airport had no safety issues identified in its most recent annual inspections conducted by both the FAA and Caltrans.
“A plane going down next to homes and businesses in Pacoima should never happen — and our community deserves answers,” Horvath said. “There are multiple agencies with responsibility here — the County, the FAA, the NTSB, the City of Los Angeles, and LADWP — and this motion demands clarity on who is responsible for what, because accountability cannot exist without it.”
The approved motion directs Public Works to report back within seven days with timelines, costs, and potential funding sources for near-term safety improvements; provide a clear outline of responsibilities across jurisdictions including the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the City of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP); and detail applicable federal aviation regulations related to aircraft operations and pilot requirements.
A $2.1 million study by Trifiletti Consulting examining the future of Whiteman Airport — which grew from its original contracted scope — is underway.
Los Angeles County Politics requested the airport’s operating financials from the county this week and did not receive a response by deadline.
Hahn wins Board approval to crack down on port pesticide
LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D – San Pedro, Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos) won the County Board of Supervisors’ approval yesterday for a motion directing closer coordination between the county’s Agricultural Commissioner and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) on oversight of methyl bromide fumigation facilities operating around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Methyl bromide is an odorless pesticide gas used to fumigate fruits and vegetables entering the country through ports, controlling pests such as insects, mites, fungi, weeds, and rodents. It is also classified as a hazardous air pollutant and toxic air contaminant — studies have shown exposure may cause damage to the brain and nervous system. Thirteen facilities located around the ports actively fumigate using the chemical.
“Hundreds of thousands of metric tons of fruits and vegetables are processed at our ports every year and feed American families across the nation. We have to keep those safe from pests — but we also can’t allow these pesticides to jeopardize the health of our portside communities,” Hahn said. “These two agencies need to work together to deliver the safe, clean air that these communities deserve.”
The urgency behind the motion is documented. Air monitoring conducted by the California Air Resources Board in 2023 and 2024 in a West Long Beach community near two fumigation facilities found average methyl bromide levels of approximately 2.1 parts per billion — roughly double the state’s long-term health exposure threshold.
The motion, co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell (D, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Compton), authorizes the Agricultural Commissioner to establish a new Memorandum of Understanding with AQMD requiring businesses to obtain two separate permits — one from the Agricultural Commissioner and one from AQMD — while clarifying each agency’s enforcement role and establishing a transition process for bringing facilities into compliance.
Mitchell credited the late Jesse Marquez, a tireless community advocate for clean air in South LA communities, as the driving force behind the reforms.
Pérez blasts CDI enforcement action against State Farm
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D -Altadena, Arcadia, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Upland) yesterday sharply criticized the California Department of Insurance’s enforcement action against State Farm Monday, calling it long overdue but insufficient to deliver real accountability to the hundreds of Eaton Fire survivors who have spent more than a year fighting the insurer over their claims.
“This administrative action against State Farm is long overdue, but it still falls short of ensuring real consequences,” Pérez said. “When large insurers fail to meet their obligations to policyholders, real accountability is necessary. State Farm should face the maximum allowable fines, and this moment should send a clear message that California stands firmly in defense of fire survivors.”
The California Department of Insurance announced enforcement action against State Farm on May 4, following a Market Conduct Examination — an investigation Pérez had called for a full year ago — that validated what fire survivors had been saying about the insurer’s handling of their claims.
Despite the findings, the department approved a State Farm rate increase without tying it to meaningful accountability measures, a decision Pérez called deeply disappointing.
Pérez has authored two bills directly tied to the insurance failures exposed by the Eaton Fire. Senate Bill 877 would require insurers to fully disclose all loss estimate documents to policyholders. Senate Bill 878 would impose penalties on insurers for unjustified payment delays. Both measures are currently moving through the Legislature.
Mitchell, Solis move to combat $1.4 billion annual wage theft
LA County Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell (D, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Compton) and Board Chair Hilda L. Solis (D, East Los Angeles, El Monte, Baldwin Park, Azusa) won Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approval yesterday for two motions targeting what researchers describe as the worst wage theft problem of any county in the United States — while simultaneously launching a pilot program to steer the county’s massive purchasing power toward local manufacturers who treat workers fairly.
According to research from UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, approximately 30 percent of low-wage workers in LA County have experienced serious minimum wage violations, with wage theft totaling roughly $1.4 billion annually.
“Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated effort to protect vulnerable workers and support local businesses,” Mitchell said. “By combining stronger labor enforcement with intentional procurement strategies, Los Angeles County is advancing a comprehensive model for economic justice — one that protects workers while investing in businesses that create quality jobs.”
The first motion moves the county beyond a complaint-based enforcement system — which often fails workers afraid of retaliation — toward proactive enforcement through stronger partnerships with worker organizations and the creation of a public dashboard.
The second motion launches the Made in Los Angeles pilot program, directing a portion of the county’s $6 to $8 billion in annual purchasing power toward local manufacturers that meet strong labor and safety standards. Both initiatives include report-backs within 90 to 120 days.
“Small businesses and workers in Los Angeles County are facing real economic strain due to harmful policies from the Trump administration, from tariffs to inhumane immigration enforcement actions, alongside an uneven recovery,” Solis said. “These motions take a balanced approach by strengthening worker protections while also giving businesses the tools and support they need to comply and grow.”
Since 2021, the county’s Office of Labor Equity has reclaimed $4.6 million for more than 3,000 workers — a significant effort that nonetheless represents a fraction of the documented theft.
