González backs DT LA curfew
Assemblymember Mark González (D-Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Vernon, Montebello, Commerce) this week backed Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass’s curfew declaration during ongoing Anti-ICE protests.
“As a resident of Chinatown and the representative for Downtown Los Angeles and surrounding communities, I fully support Mayor Bass’s decision to implement a curfew,” said González. “It has been deeply heartbreaking to witness the destruction in our community — damage that does not reflect the values or voices of those engaging in peaceful protest.
This curfew is not about silencing dissent. It is a necessary step to protect our neighborhoods, ensure public safety, and preserve the space for lawful, meaningful expression.
We must make a clear distinction between those exercising their constitutional rights with courage and those exploiting this moment to create chaos.
Downtown L.A. is a place of resilience and purpose. We will get through this by standing together, protecting each other, and continuing to fight for justice — peacefully and powerfully.”
Hochman alleges Juvenile Hall drug trafficker
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced charges this week of of a Los Angeles County deputy probation officer for allegedly conspiring to bring alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, into Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar in 2023.
Michael Angelo Solis, 59, is charged with one felony count of conspiracy to possess for sale alprazolam; one felony count of conspiracy to bring a controlled substance into a juvenile hall; one felony count of possession for sale of a designated controlled substance, alprazolam; and one felony count of bringing a controlled substance into a juvenile hall.
Solis, a Los Angeles County deputy probation officer assigned to the juvenile hall in Sylmar, allegedly conspired with a detained youth to sell alprazolam pills for hundreds of dollars between May 14 and August 9, 2023.
“Trafficking illegal drugs to juveniles is unconscionable under any circumstances, let alone as a government employee taking advantage of vulnerable youth in need of guidance and support,” said Hochman. “Probation officers have as their primary duty the protection, health and safety of juveniles under their care. My office will not tolerate such an abuse of power, which endangers youth, undermines rehabilitation, and makes our communities less safe.”
If convicted, Solis faces three years in state prison.
Menjivar’s principled stand
State Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) this week continued to stand her ground against cuts to health and human services in Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised 2025-26 California state budget proposal.
The lawmaker’s adamant stance that undocumented immigrants are being hurt the most from these cuts has led to her removal from the Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services.
“Given my straightforward opposition to the proposed health cuts to just one demographic, I have been removed as a member of the budget subcommittee. I cannot in good conscience vote on several of the items up for consideration in today’s Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services that target just one group,” said Manjivar.
“At a time when the federal administration is viciously attacking our immigrant communities at full force and proposing to rip health care away from millions of Americans, it is incomprehensible we would adopt budget items that further isolate and “others” certain Californians. In a state built on the blood and sweat of immigrant workers, how can we adopt items that discriminate against those who pick our food, care for our children and aging parents, and provide the services that enable us to prosper in our lives?
And, at the same time, NOT reprimand the companies that force their employees to be on Medi-Cal due to low wages and scheduling loopholes.
I have worked tirelessly in the past three years to protect the most vulnerable in Subcommittee 3 and am disappointed that I won’t be able to record my dissent. I will continue to stand by my communities and my priorities as an elected official to protect access to health care for all Californians.”
