Pérez raises alarm after oil spill rupture near East LA schools and homes
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D – Altadena, Arcadia, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Upland) is monitoring a construction accident that ruptured an underground pipeline Friday and spilled approximately 2,400 gallons of crude oil into storm drains in East Los Angeles near Monterey Park — warning that the incident could have been catastrophic given the density of schools, businesses, and homes in the surrounding area.
According to Pérez’s office, the oil is reportedly moving south and away from her district. Emergency crews were able to stop the flow, though the full environmental damage and public health impact on nearby residents is still being assessed by state and local response teams.
“This incident, that occurred in such a densely populated area with schools, local businesses, and homes, could have been much worse,” said Pérez. “I urge authorities to conduct a full investigation into this incident to better understand any environmental and public health impacts and ensure appropriate accountability measures are taken where warranted.”
Residents experiencing health impacts who do not have a medical provider can call the LA County Public Health Community Health Complaint Line at (626) 430-9821.
Odor complaints can be reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District at 1-800-288-7664.
Oil-impacted wildlife can be reported to 1-877-823-6926. LA County Incident Response can be reached at (213) 974-1234 or at lacounty.gov/emergency.
Bass houses 70 Angelenos and 18 pets in Chinatown Inside Safe operation
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass helped 70 unhoused Angelenos and 18 pets transition from the streets into safe, stable housing last week through an Inside Safe operation in Chinatown — one of the program’s most visible operations to date, conducted just blocks from Central Plaza and the heart of the city’s historic Chinese American community.
The operation, coordinated with Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, cleared the encampment near N. Main Street and Alpine Street, connecting residents to medical care and supportive services while removing 25 RVs, trucks, and cars that had posed serious public safety concerns on surrounding streets.
“In addition to securing housing for 70 people living on the streets, we removed more than two dozen RVs and unregistered vehicles that were creating serious public safety concerns in the area,” said Bass. “I’m proud to have overseen the city’s first two-year reduction in homelessness, and I’m equally proud that we are revitalizing our cultural landmarks and public spaces and returning them to the communities they belong to.”
According to Bass’s office, Inside Safe has helped drive two consecutive years of overall homelessness declines in Los Angeles, including a nearly 18% reduction in street homelessness — a first for the city even as homelessness continues to rise in most major cities nationwide.
A signature feature of the program allows unhoused residents to bring their pets into interim housing alongside them — among those placed this week was Harley, an 11-month-old puppy who moved indoors with her owner through the operation.
Valladares blasts Dem majority for killing three affordability bills
State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R – Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Palmdale) announced on Friday that the Democratic majority blocked three bills from her affordability legislative package in committee — measures she says would have lowered costs, increased government transparency, and delivered direct financial relief to California families already struggling with the highest cost of living in the nation.
The three bills killed in committee were SB 1144, which would have raised the state dependent tax credit from $475 to $700 per child — the first meaningful update since 1999 — providing direct relief to working parents facing rising costs for housing, childcare, and healthcare; SB 1137, which would have lowered the medical expense deduction threshold from 7.5% to 4% of adjusted gross income, expanding tax relief for families facing significant out-of-pocket healthcare costs; and SB 1161, which would have required the California Air Resources Board to disclose in plain language the economic impact of proposed regulations on California households.
“Senate Leadership has rejected three practical bills that would have put money back in the pockets of working families and brought accountability to the regulations driving up their costs,” Valladares said. “If we are serious about affordability, then we should at least be willing to debate solutions that provide real relief to families who are already stretched thin. These weren’t partisan bills — they were practical solutions for families who are falling further behind every year.”
Valladares vowed to continue fighting for affordability on behalf of her constituents in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, and Victor Valley.
Rodriguez wins bipartisan Assembly passage of maternal pregnancy health bill
Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (D, San Fernando, Sylmar, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sun Valley) won bipartisan California State Assembly passage Thursday of AB 2066 — landmark maternal health legislation that would allow pregnant individuals to enroll in or change their health benefit plans outside of standard enrollment periods by recognizing pregnancy as a qualifying life event.
Under current California law, individuals can only make changes to health benefit plans when they experience specific qualifying life events such as losing coverage, gaining a dependent, or moving. AB 2066 closes a critical gap that forces pregnant individuals to delay prenatal care when they cannot immediately access or change their coverage — a delay that advocates warn increases the risk of preventable complications, particularly for Black and Latina women who face disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality.
“Delays in timely access to prenatal care can lead to preventable conditions for mothers and children,” Rodriguez said. “At a time when maternal mortality is up to 4 times higher for Black mothers than other groups, and the gap in pregnancy-related deaths between people with Medi-Cal and those with private insurance is widening, we cannot delay putting women’s health and safety front and center.”
Research from Hispanas Organized for Political Equality and Black Women Organized for Political Action found that one in four Black women and Latinas struggle to access obstetric and gynecological care, and nearly one in three report difficulty accessing routine healthcare providers.
AB 2066 now moves to the Senate Health Committee. Rodriguez noted that the bill is informed in part by her personal experience of giving birth to her daughter earlier this year.
