González pressures Newsom to sign bill curbing copper theft
Assemblymember Mark González (D-Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights) yesterday stood with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, local law enforcement officials, business leaders, and residents to call on Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB 476 – bipartisan legislation to crack down on copper theft, strengthen enforcement tools, and protect California’s critical infrastructure.
“Copper theft is not a victimless crime. It’s costing cities millions, endangering residents, and overwhelming local resources,” said González. “AB 476 gives law enforcement and cities additional tools to track illegal transactions, stop thieves, and hold bad actors accountable.”
Copper wire theft has reached crisis levels across California. In Los Angeles alone, more than 38,000 feet—seven miles—of copper wire were stripped from the iconic Sixth Street Bridge, causing $2.5 million in taxpayer-funded repairs. Citywide, the Bureau of Street Lighting reported nearly 46,000 service requests for outages in 2024, with nearly 40% tied to wire theft. Some neighborhoods have waited months for lights and services to be restored.
AB 476 strengthens theft prevention and enforcement to help deter copper theft, protect vital infrastructure, and hold the scrap metal industry accountable with commonsense reforms, including:
- Enhanced Reporting Requirements – Junk dealers and recyclers must collect detailed records, including a signed statement verifying the seller’s identity and lawful ownership.
- Expanded Restrictions on Scrap Metal Possession – Certain scrap metal from essential infrastructure (e.g., streetlights, traffic signals, plaques) will be illegal to possess without proper documentation.
- Increased Penalties – Penalties would better reflect the high costs of damage and replacement borne by taxpayers, ratepayers, and communities.
Bass encourages LA small businesses to secure City contracts
Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass yesterday encouraged local small business owners and entrepreneurs to apply for the City’s Contract Financing Program, which Bass designed to help small businesses pursue procurement opportunities with City government.
A million dollars in funding to establish and facilitate the program was provided through a public-private partnership with Banc of California, which relocated its headquarters to the City of Los Angeles during Mayor Bass’ first year in office.
Bass created this program with the understanding that many small businesses are precluded from competing for City contracts because they lack the working capital to cover upfront costs while the City processed their payments.
Through this new initiative, small business owners can secure competitive loans to fund costs associated with fulfilling the new City contract. These loans will assist with securing the initial funds necessary to cover direct contract costs such as materials, equipment, and hiring employees to fulfill City contracts that might otherwise be a challenge.
“Opening Los Angeles for business means making City Hall an advocate for business,” said Bass. “I encourage small businesses to apply for the contract financing program with support and funding provided by Banc of California. With major events on the horizon, we want to make sure that small and local businesses have a new pathway with the contract financing program to compete for City contracts now and in the future.”
To learn more and apply, visit ProcureLA.com.
Hermosa Beach City Council approves parking rate increases
The Hermosa Beach City Council voted last week to increase the price of parking in local metered spots to $3 and beach parking lots A, B and C to $3.50, effective Nov. 1, while parking will remain free between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m.
“These new rates align Hermosa Beach’s prices with neighboring coastal cities while ensuring our limited parking resources are well managed,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Rob Saemann. “Sensible, incremental price increases like these help us maintain accessible parking today, while supporting the City’s ability to sustain essential services and plan for future community needs.”
The City Council last updated meter rates in 2023, setting them at $2.00 per hour from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and $2.50 per hour from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
For further information on the City’s parking permit programs, please visit the City’s website or call 310-318-0217, 310-318-0251 or 310-318-0211.
Pacheco bill protecting ballot measures from foreign influence signed into law
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey) last week saw Governor Gavin Newsome sign the legislation she authored to prohibit foreign nationals from making contributions or expenditures in connection with state or local ballot measures.
The new constraint, AB 953, aligns California with federal election standards and strengthens the state’s direct-democracy process. While federal law bars foreign nationals from contributing to candidates, California law leaves ballot-measure campaigns—where contributions are unlimited—vulnerable to foreign money if a donor is physically in the United States.
“California’s elections should be decided by Californians – not foreign money,” said Pacheco. “AB 953 closes a loophole allowing foreign nationals to monetarily influence our ballot measures, protecting the integrity of our democracy.”
California already restricts contributions from foreign governments and certain foreign principals. Still, existing definitions did not cover foreign nationals physically present in the U.S. AB 953 ensures that foreign influence cannot flow into ballot-measure campaigns through that crack.
