Horvath demands audit as LAHSA finances unravel
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath (D-Western and San Fernando Valley areas, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Calabasas, Malibu, Universal City, Sherman Oaks) reiterated the need for the county to take over governance of homeless services following Friday’s Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Finance Committee meeting.
The push to remove county funds from LAHSA and bring homeless services under direct county governance has been building for months. Last April, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to create the new Department of Homeless Services and Housing (HSH), with Sarah Mahin appointed as its first director.
When LACP spoke with Mahin shortly after her appointment, she struck a collaborative tone, pledging that LAHSA would remain “an essential system partner.” The county’s transition timeline has county dollars remaining at LAHSA until July 1, at which point oversight and administration shift fully to HSH.
“After today’s LAHSA Finance Committee meeting, it is clearer than ever why the County of Los Angeles must remove our taxpayer funds from LAHSA,” said Horvath, noting county dollars are still at LAHSA until July 1. “Accountability and transparency are long overdue and will finally be delivered through the reforms we’ve ushered in.”
Horvath pointed out that the meeting revealed LAHSA does not have the staffing or expertise to pay its bills, and while the agency has advanced funding from the County, it cannot pay service providers for services already rendered many months ago. The meeting also revealed the LAHSA balance sheets don’t balance, and they fail to provide real-time financial information to their very own commissioners, according to Horvath.
Horvath called for a public hearing at the Board of Supervisors, a forensic audit with County auditors embedding immediately, and immediate payment of outstanding invoices for services rendered by providers contracted on behalf of the County.
“Since I was elected to the Board of Supervisors, I have been tenaciously pursuing the truth. Three years later and the truth is this: the old system is broken — and that is why we are building a new one that actually works,” said Horvath.
Durazo: Reverse Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for undocumented Californians
State Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Pico Union, South Montebello, Vernon) and Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) on Friday jointly introduced Senate Bill 1422, the Medi-Cal Access Restoration Act, to end the enrollment freeze on Medi-Cal for undocumented Californians ages 19 and older and restore full-scope coverage beginning January 1, 2027.
The legislation comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom, in the 2025-26 State Budget, froze Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults, leaving otherwise-eligible Californians without access to routine and preventive care. The freeze does not eliminate health needs – it shifts costs to counties, hospitals, and emergency rooms.
“Undocumented Californians pick our crops, build our homes, and care for our families – and they pay billions in taxes to do it,” said Durazo. “Denying them basic health coverage isn’t saving money, it’s borrowing trouble. We pay more when people end up in the emergency room. SB 1422 is the fiscally responsible thing to do, and it’s the right thing to do.”
Undocumented Californians contribute $8.5 billion annually in state and local taxes and make up roughly one-tenth of the state’s workforce – yet the freeze bars many of them from the safety-net programs their tax dollars support. Research shows that access to preventive care significantly reduces avoidable emergency room visits, which can cost more than ten times as much as routine care. California already spends an estimated $3.5 billion annually on preventable emergency care.
The freeze also compounds pressure on a health system already strained by federal cuts under H.R. 1, which is projected to result in up to $83 billion in uncompensated hospital costs over the next decade.
SB 1422 is co-sponsored by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, the California Immigrant Policy Center, and Health Access California.
Friedman co-leads bill to provide automatic refunds of tariff taxes
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood, Hollywood) announced that she is helping lead new federal legislation that would guarantee automatic refunds to small businesses that were impacted by the Trump Administration’s tariffs, which were ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Friday.
“The Supreme Court finally ruled what we all knew to be true: these tariff taxes are illegal. Over the past year, President Trump has cost families $1,200 and forced small businesses to pay roughly $200 billion in tariffs – now it’s time for the President to pay them back,” said Friedman. “That’s why I’m proud to help lead the RELIEF Act, which will make sure that America’s small businesses are paid back every single cent that was taken from them by Trump’s illegal tariffs.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated that Trump’s tariff policies cost America’s small businesses about $200 billion this past year. The Restoring Economic Lifelines for Independent Enterprises and Family Businesses (RELIEF) Act would provide these businesses with immediate relief.
The RELIEF Act would apply to all tariffs collected since January 1, 2025, set a strict 90-day refund timeline after enactment, and cut red tape in the application process for small and independent businesses.
Whitesides brings Antelope Valley College President to State of the Union
U.S. Rep. George Whitesides (D-Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, portions of San Fernando Valley) announced last week he will be joined by Dr. Jennifer Zellet, President of Antelope Valley College, at President Trump’s State of the Union address slated for 6 pm (PST), tomorrow, Feb. 24.
“I am honored to be joined by Dr. Jennifer Zellet at the State of the Union, and to shine a spotlight on the amazing resources our community colleges provide to students across the district,” said Whitesides. “Dr. Zellet’s focus on preparing young people for the modern workforce ensures that everyone who wants to pursue higher education and technical training has the ability to do so, even in today’s rapidly evolving environment. She has been a tremendous partner during my first year in office, and I look forward to working with her to make sure that every student in our area can succeed.”
Whitesides said over the past year, the Trump Administration has proposed a series of harmful cuts to public education. Whitesides has fought back against these dangerous policies, advocating to Education Secretary Linda McMahon to maintain California’s annual pre-K through postsecondary public education funding and championing policies such as the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” and the “Youth Workforce Readiness Act.”
Additionally, the Congressman successfully secured funding for the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, which will help enhance their Advanced Technology Center Permanent Facility for Manufacturing Workforce Training.
Antelope Valley College serves approximately 16,000 students and offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees in 71 fields, as well as certificate programs in 59 vocational areas.
