Saving Stormwater At Home - LAist

Saving Stormwater At Home

- Time to grab a shovelWhen one swale fills up, pipes pull the water to another on this property. If the system is overwhelmed it sends the water out to the storm drains.(Shawn Maestretti/Studio Petrichor)
Topline:
You can help send stormwater into our underground aquifers by incorporating water catchment features, such as swales (bougie trenches) and permeable pavement, at home. Anything that slows down water and lets it sink deep into the earth helps.
Do it yourself: Dig a hole and line it with rocks to limit erosion. Divert water from downspouts to help fill it. Plant native plants to make it look pretty.
Will it make a difference?: If we implemented water catchment features across all commercial and private properties in L.A., we could theoretically sequester more than 88,000 acre feet a year.
A big caveat: If you're located in a landslide prone area, you will likely want to avoid trying to keep water on your property as it can lead to dangerous conditions.
Recently,
we dove deep on how every time rain falls in Southern California, gigantic pieces of infrastructure come to life in an effort to sequester as much of the stormwater as possible.Inflatable dams are used to divert water to spreading grounds.(Orange County Water District)
Water agencies implement dry wells, dams and spreading grounds the size of neighborhoods to give each drop a chance to percolate deep into the soil and refill our overdrawn reservoirs.
The problem is we've all but run out of room for spreading grounds, and while the water agencies are implementing other options, you can make a difference at the household level as well.
All you need is a shovel, some rocks and a tiny patch of land.
How you can capture stormwater on your property
The goal is simple: you want to slow down water and give it a chance to sink into the earth. A hole drilled in the curb routes rushing stormwater through a pipe into a swale lined with rocks in front of this Pasadena home.(Shawn Maestretti/Studio Petrichor)
Landscape design firm
Studio Petrichor in Altadena often features swales (bougie trenches) in their plans, incorporating rocks to prevent erosion and native plants that are able to take the inundation. They fill them by rerouting water from the street and downspouts.The same rainwater feature from the other side.(Shawn Maestretti/Studio Petrichor)
Here's are some recommendations from the design firm : Rather than having water flood the area between these two buildings, this rain garden allows it to sink into the soil.(Shawn Maestretti/Studio Petrichor)
- Consult a professional and make sure that you aren't in a liquefaction or landslide zone as you don't want to compromise the integrity of the soil your home is sitting on. As we've learned in recent months, water can work itself between layers of soil and keep them from sticking together, leading to catastrophic failure.
- Pay attention to how water is moving across your property and whether you can reroute and intercept it, potentially from downspouts. If it's moving toward your foundation, it'll be difficult to capture unless you install drainage to move it elsewhere.
- Once you identify a spot, dig a smooth depression. Reinforce the sides with rocks and mulch the bottom. You can also plant plants that can take being flooded.
- Studio Petrichor also prioritizes installing hügelkultur berms — or piles of logs beneath mulch/soil — which help to hold on to water and add organic matter to the earth as they break down over time.
- Make sure that if your rain garden overfills, you've figured out a way to safely route the water into the street where it can make its way to a storm drain. The firm sometimes installs multiple connected swales on their client's properties, which begins to fill as the one before it spills over.
If you're in the city of L.A., you should know that it's now required that many design plans have some sort of stormwater remediation. So, you could also follow their guidelines, which you can download
here.
How big of a difference can our yards make?
It's tough to quantify how much any one yard will contribute to an aquifer, but according to analysis done for LADWP's
Stormwater Capture Master Plan released in 2015, if widely implemented, water catchment features could have an impact.
"Parcel by parcel there is an additive effect and we've shown qualitatively that additive effect is really significant," said Edith de Guzman, water equity and adaptation policy cooperative extension specialist at UCLA.
The master plan was prepared with Tree People, which Guzman was with at the time.
It depends on how you slice it, but according to Guzman, if you add together all the small distributed projects possible (swales, rain gardens, permeable pavement) on everything from commercial properties to those with single family homes, we could theoretically add an additional 110,000 acres of land to our water percolation portfolio.
That could mean anywhere from 88,000 to 165,000 more acre feet could be sent down into our aquifers, which could potentially supply between 350,000 and 660,000 households for a year.
This is all theoretical and comes with a ton of caveats — Is the area too polluted? Is the soil conducive to infiltration and can it be dug safely? — but it gives us a rough idea of what's possible.
“It depends on location. In many portions of the San Fernando Valley, not only are the soils appropriate for doing infiltration, but so is the proximity to the underlying groundwater aquifer. In other parts where there's clay soils or there aren't necessarily connections to the aquifer," Guzman said. "It doesn't make as much sense.” A front yard garden that uses rocks and logs placed beneath the soil as structure. The logs and trench both help to sequester rainwater, making it available into the hotter months.(Shawn Maestretti/Studio Petrichor)
Not good for every property
You may not want to install water catchment features if you have dense clay soil that doesn't drain, or if you're in a landslide or liquefaction zone, and standing water could raise the risk of a catastrophic event.
While each property needs to be independently assessed, you can take a quick glance at this map from the master plan: This map from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power shows the areas of L.A. that are ideal for sequestering water.(Stormwater Capture Master Plan/Los Angeles Department of Water and Power)
According to
LADWP, the soil found in categories A and B should allow the best infiltration (made up of sand and silt as well as clay) and are located over important aquifers. If you're in category C, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't try and capture water, however, you may run into issues. Check out page 27 for a closer look.
If you want to store water on your property, cisterns are also an option. In addition to water capture features like swales, Studio Petrichor installed this 2500 gallon cistern to help provide water through the hot months. That water is both used by plants and percolates deep into the soil.(Shawn Maestretti/Studio Petrichor)
An L.A. stormwater capture success story
Take inspiration from the
Elmer Avenue Neighborhood Retrofit that we profiled last year.The entrance to the green alley on April 15, 2023 in Sun Valley, Calif., which is made from sustainable materials and rows of colorful California native plants. Pablo Unzueta for LAist(Pablo Unzueta/LAist)
The San Fernando Valley neighborhood used to flood miserably. Now, after incorporating permeable pavement, curb cuts and vegetated bioswales, not only has flooding been attenuated, but the area's been beautified by all the greenery. Sidewalks with vegetated bioswales that filter water were installed in the neighborhood. Though it made people's yards smaller, the overall benefit has been worth it to the community, Gonzalez said.(Erin Stone/LAist)What do you want to know about fires, earthquakes, climate change or any science-related topics?Jacob Margolis helps Southern Californians understand the science shaping our imperfect paradise and gets us prepared for what’s next.
- Consult a professional and make sure that you aren't in a liquefaction or landslide zone as you don't want to compromise the integrity of the soil your home is sitting on. As we've
- Bill aims to help more non-English speakers voteSafiyo Jama, a San Diego resident from Somalia, has voted in U.S. elections since 2012 and helps other Somali residents understand election materials. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters(Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters)
Topline:
Advocates say California’s immigrant citizens who need it should get ballots and voting help in their own language.
Why it matters: California has the nation’s highest proportion of households that speak languages other than English. Nearly 3 million voting age Californians have limited English knowledge.
The backstory: Assemblymember Evan Low, the Cupertino Democrat who co-authored
Assembly Bill 884, said he hopes it will increase voter participation and strengthen democracy in California.
The bill, which passed the Assembly in late January and is before the Senate, would require California’s Secretary of State to identify the languages spoken by at least 5,000 voting-age individuals in a county who don’t speak English fluently, including groups not covered by current federal voting rights laws, such as Middle Eastern or African immigrants.
What's next: If it is successful, the bill would go into effect in 2025, too late for next Tuesday’s primary and the November general election.
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand language assistance and election services to immigrants who don’t speak English fluently, but a group representing voter registrars throughout the state says it will cost counties too much money.
California has the nation’s highest proportion of households that speak languages other than English. Nearly 3 million voting age Californians have limited English knowledge.
Assemblymember Evan Low, the Cupertino Democrat who co-authored
Assembly Bill 884, said he hopes it will increase voter participation and strengthen democracy in California.
“California is one of the most diverse states and leads the nation in language diversity,” he said, “so it is important that we lead the way to providing in-language ballots and voting materials to reduce barriers and enfranchise more Californians.”
The bill, which passed the Assembly in late January and is before the Senate, would require California’s Secretary of State to identify the languages spoken by at least 5,000 voting-age individuals in a county who don’t speak English fluently, including groups not covered by current federal voting rights laws, such as Middle Eastern or African immigrants.
The Secretary of State would then have to provide language assistance, including a toll-free hotline and funding for county language coordinators, in areas where the need is most acute.
If the proposal succeeds, it would require San Diego County, for instance, to translate voting material into Somali and at least 20 other languages, the bill’s sponsors say.
“We want voters to trust the government and that boils down to a voter in any community being able to understand what is happening in their own community,” said Pedro Hernandez, a policy director at California Common Cause, which cosponsored the bill.
If it is successful, the bill would go into effect in 2025, too late for next Tuesday’s primary and the November general election.
Immigrant voting rights
Federal and state laws are meant to ensure all eligible voters can vote, regardless of English proficiency. However many foreign-born American citizens face significant language barriers when casting their ballot.
Under current state law, there’s no requirement to provide voter information guides or translated materials about voter registration in languages not covered by the federal Voting Rights Act, which passed in 1965 but was expanded in 1975.
Now
federal law requires counties to provide election material to population groups which meet specific size thresholds. Groups must comprise more than 10,000 voting-age citizens or 5% of all voting-age citizens in a county. That has led to translated materials for those who speak Spanish or an Asian, Native American or Alaskan language.A sign outside the San Diego Registrar of Voters reads “vote here” in several languages. Counties would have to translate more ballots and help more immigrant citizens vote under a new bill.(Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters)
California has lower population thresholds, requiring translations of sample ballots for greater numbers of eligible voters, but not other services such as votable ballots in other languages or poll workers who speak other languages, advocates said. Thousands of immigrants still lack equal access to the polls, advocates said, because they rely on languages not covered under federal laws.
Under state law, in each year with an election for governor the Secretary of State must determine the voting precincts where 3% or more of the voting age population is citizens in “language minority” groups who can’t vote without English language assistance.
The Secretary of State relies on census data to make language coverage determinations. But the Census Bureau provides limited data on small populations, claiming privacy protections,
advocacy groups said.
In 2022, when California Secretary of State Shirley Weber initially
decided to reduce the number of languages required to be translated from 27 to 10 in some precincts, her press secretary, Joe Kocurek, attributed it to the reduced Census data.
Days later, after CalMatters published a story on the issue, Weber
reversed her decision. She told CalMatters at the time: “This drastic change was extremely troubling both to me and to the counties who provide services to these voters, because reduced language assistance has the potential to disenfranchise voters who may not receive voting materials in the appropriate language.”
Overlooked voters
For Safiyo Jama, passing the American citizenship test meant she can play a role in a democratic system she has long admired. In 2012, when Jama voted in her first U.S. election, other African immigrants in the San Diego area asked her to provide translations and voting assistance.
“They wanted to know what this candidate would do; they wanted to know which candidate was best for all of us,” said Jama, a 40-year-old Somali immigrant. “If there were ballots in Somali, more people would vote.” Safiyo Jama, a San Diego resident from Somalia, translates and helps fellow Somali immigrants when they vote.(Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters)
Thousands of Somali refugees like Jama immigrated to San Diego County in the 1990s, as civil war ravaged the East African nation. Decades later at least 1,400 voting-age Somali residents in the county have self-identified as having limited English proficiency, though voting rights advocates say that’s likely an undercount.
A
recent report by voter advocates says the federal government’s definition of “ language minorities” overlooks many voters who speak African or Middle Eastern languages.
For instance, there are 659 precincts in Los Angeles County containing Arabic speakers, but only 123 meet the state’s threshold for providing translated materials and services. Because Arabic is not covered under federal law, election offices are not mandated to provide election services in Arabic, the report said.
In contrast, Korean voters in neighboring Santa Barbara County, which has 12 precincts covered for translated voting material in Korean, receive language support because the voters with limited English proficiency live in highly concentrated population areas, the report said.
The system therefore benefits communities that are residentially segregated, advocates said.
That could change under the proposal. For instance the bill would mandate San Diego County provide translated voting material in Arabic.
According to the San Diego Registrar of Voters, the county already translates sample ballots into Arabic, as well as Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Somali, Persian and other languages. Officials would not answer questions about the bill.
Advocates said translated sample ballots are useful, but they still pose difficulties for eligible voters who don’t speak English well. The lack of assistance in their specific language and having to rely on friends, family, even children to provide translation are the main reasons these eligible voters don’t register in the first place, advocates said. Some voting material was in Vietnamese at the San Diego Registrar of Voters on Feb. 13, 2024.(Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters)
Fiscal concerns
Though the bill passed in the Assembly, it triggered financial concerns as lawmakers face a projected
multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.
An
Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis said the bill’s implementation would initially cost $28.8 million in fiscal 2024-25 and annually about $15.2 million, including language identification and translation duties, voter outreach, upgrades to phone systems and a voter registration database.
The Secretary of State’s office did not respond to CalMatters’ questions about the proposal’s potential costs.
A statewide group representing county registrars and election officials, the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, said it supports the goal of providing voters with election materials in their preferred language, but it opposes this bill due to financial concerns, said Bob Page, its legislative committee co-chair.
“For many counties that currently have more state-covered languages than federal-covered languages, increasing language service requirements could be expected to more than double the county’s language service costs and demand on labor,” the association wrote in a letter to Assemblymember Chris Holden, the Pasadena Democrat who chairs the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Today eligible voters can register to vote online and by mail. California requires all counties to mail voters a ballot ahead of an election. Voters can return them by mail or drop them off at a ballot box or voting center, or they can vote in person.
If they don’t sign the bill I will keep helping my community, because they want to vote and that’s their right.— Safiyo Jama, an American citizen from Somalia who helps others vote by translation election materials.
In precincts where the 3% language threshold is met, a county must provide translated sample ballots and translated instructions to voters. But some advocates said that’s not enough.
“You can’t use a sample ballot to vote on,” said Deanna Kitamura, senior staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a bill co-sponsor. “You’re holding up the sample ballot in your language and then you’re having to look at it and mark the English ballot, which you use to vote on.”
Building trust
Kitamura
testified in November to an Assembly committee that a 2015 study found language assistance increased Latino voter registration by 15% and expanded voter turnout by 15% in Asian American communities. When San Diego County started providing language assistance, voter registrations rose by more than 20% among Filipino Americans and by almost 40% among Vietnamese Americans, Kitamura said.
Other states have expanded assistance to voters whose languages aren’t covered under federal law.
Oregon and Minnesota, for example, provide online voter registration in Somali. California does not.
“In order for California to build trust, it has to be a multiracial and multilingual democracy, which means prioritizing and centering in language access,” said Hernandez at Common Cause.
Common Cause was one of a dozen organizations that participated in the California Language Access Workgroup launched in 2021. As part of its agenda, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, an organization serving refugee communities, held listening sessions in 2022 to gauge the needs of Somali American voters in San Diego County. Rahmo Abdi, director of campaigns for the San Diego group, said listening session participants felt unsure and worried about making a wrong voting decision that could hurt their communities.
That’s why multilingual assistance honors the choice of every eligible voter, Abdi added.
“We don’t think we need to wait for federal law to get more access for our community, that’s why we are fighting locally to expand language services,” Abdi said. Rahmo Abdi, at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, is pushing local officials to expand ballot languages and election assistance for citizens who rely on languages other than English.(Adriana Heldiz/CalMatters)
Jama attended many of those listening sessions, volunteering as an interpreter. She said she plans to vote in the presidential primary Tuesday, and she will continue helping those who don’t speak English.
“Even if they don’t sign the bill I will keep helping my community, because they want to vote and that’s their right,” said Jama. “That’s democracy.” What questions do you have about Southern California?
-
- Listen: IATSE Negotiations, moreListen • 7:10Listen • 7:10An LA Homelessness Policy Found Ineffective, IATSE Negotiations Begin Today & Saving Stormwater At Home — The A.M. EditionYour morning update from the LAist newsroom.
Today's headlines:
LA Council president pushes back against audit findings on an anti-camping ordinance.
- The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees begins contract negotiations with studios and streamers today.
How to capture stormwater on your property.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to get The LA Report delivered to you twice on weekdays, with special editions on Saturday and Sunday.
- Highs in the mid to low 60sForecast highs for Monday.(Courtesy NWS)
- Today’s weather: Mostly sunny
- Beaches: 63
- Mountains: 40s in San Gabriel, Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Ana mountains, 60s in Santa Monica mountains.
- Inland: mid 60s
- Warnings and advisories: Beach Hazards (expires at 9 a.m.)
Keep reading for your daily forecast and a look ahead.
Good morning and happy Monday! Today's weather forecast includes mostly sunny skies and temperatures on the cooler end, reminiscent of a nice early spring kind of day. Quick Facts
-
- Today’s weather: Mostly sunny
- Beaches: 63
- Mountains: 40s in San Gabriel, Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Ana mountains, 60s in Santa Monica mountains.
- Inland: mid 60s
- Warnings and advisories: Beach Hazards (expires at 9 am)
Temperatures along the coast will be in the lower 60s, averaging out to 63 degrees. More inland including the valleys, temperatures will rise slightly to the mid 60s, up to 65 degrees in Anaheim but down back to 63 degrees for the Inland Empire.
In the high desert, expect a high of 59 degrees, 72 degrees in Coachella Valley.
Tonight's lows will be in upper 40s. Taking a look ahead, there's a chance of light to moderate rain and mountain snow tomorrow night and Wednesday as another storm system moves in. That's followed by a warmup by the end of the week.
Over in the beaches, beware of strong rip currents and large breaking waves up to 7 feet tall for west facing beaches along the Ventura and L.A. county beaches, including the Malibu coast, until 9 a.m.
This day in history
On this day in 1951, it was 28 degrees in Riverside.
Things to do
Reset on Monday with this chill idea:
2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Live-Action: Just one more week left to squeeze all your Oscar viewing in before the biggest night in Hollywood! Catch all of the Academy Award-nominated short films on the big screen for a limited time so that you’re making an educated guess on your Oscar party ballot and giving a few really powerful lesser-seen films some love at the same time.
- And we are 1 day away from Super Tuesday! If you are the type that gets a rush from filling things out right before the deadline, we've got you covered with our handy dandy Voter Game Plan.
Check out our full
list of things to do this week. What questions do you have about Southern California?
- After COVID and conspiracies more are back on jobWillie Portela, 59, was among the poll workers for the June primary in 2022. Now more poll workers are returning to the role.(Elly Yu/LAist)
Topline:
It has been a tumultuous time for California’s election workers.
The backstory: The state lost 15% of its election officials between the November 2020 election and July 2021, according to
the California Voter Foundation, which documented incidents of threats, harassment and stress.
What's going on now: Ahead of Tuesday’s end of primary voting, elections officials in more than a dozen California counties say they’re in good shape for staffing permanent and temporary poll workers.
Between COVID-19 and election fraud conspiracy theories since 2020, it has been a tumultuous time for California’s election workers.
The state lost 15% of its election officials between the November 2020 election and July 2021, according to
the California Voter Foundation, which documented incidents of threats, harassment and stress. While not all left due to safety concerns, more than half of California counties have a new registrar of voters since 2020, compared to 17% turnover between 2016 and 2020.
Soon joining that list is
Cathy Darling Allen, the registrar in Shasta County, where officials have faced intimidation and threats by some unhappy with election results. She announced in February that she is retiring in May due to health issues— and reducing stress is essential to recovery.
In November, tensions were heightened when suspicious envelopes were sent to election offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Another arrived at
Yuba County’s office in January that tested positive for fentanyl.
More Voter Guides
How to evaluate judges
- L.A. Superior Court: There are more than two dozen judges up for election or reelection.
- Judge ratings: Understanding how the L.A. County Bar Association evaluates judicial candidates — and how it can help you cast your vote.
Head to
LAist's Voter Game Plan for guides to the rest of your ballot including:
- L.A. County Board of Supervisors: Three of the five seats are on the ballot.
- L.A. City Council: There are seven seats up for grabs.
- L.A. District Attorney: Meet the 12 candidates running to be the county's prosecutor.
- LAUSD: Four seats are open for a seat at the table.
- Prop. 1: Here's a closer look at the proposal at the center of a debate over how to best help people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol issues.
But ahead of Tuesday’s end of primary voting, elections officials in more than a dozen California counties say they’re in good shape for staffing permanent and temporary poll workers.
Why the shift?
Kim Alexander, president of the voter foundation, attributes the shift to the attitudes by both election workers and voters.
“People care very deeply about the right to vote and want to protect that,” she said.
“We’ve had over four years now of people hearing this false narrative about elections,” she added. And while elections aren’t perfect, “it doesn’t add up to widespread fraud, and I think people know that.”
Since 2020, county elections officials have taken a number of steps to strengthen protection of workers — including safety protocols for possible fentanyl-laced envelopes — and to educate people that their vote is secure.
Orange County efforts
In Orange County, for example, the elections office works closely with local law enforcement and the health department to ensure the safety of election workers and voters, said Bob Page, the county’s registrar of voters.
The county has recruited about 1,600 people to work on elections — the result of a months-long process that involves outreach efforts, background checks and training.
“We know it’s important to make sure we give people that work in the vote centers the tools to provide good customer service and try to help people who have concerns, or may be a little disruptive when they come in,” he said. “Safety is something we’re going to keep paying attention to.”
Longer in-person voting
Still, election security doesn’t seem to be the only motivating factor. Some counties that have opted into the
Voter’s Choice Act, which extends in-person voting to 10 days, say shorter shifts and fewer locations make it easier to hire staff.
There’s also money: In San Bernardino County, funding to increase stipends for poll workers and to hire additional full-time staff has helped.
“The election cycle and election preparation is a very stressful environment, with a lot of work in a small amount of time,” said Stephanie Shea, the county’s registrar of voters. “We’ve been fortunate that the board has approved additional positions that have helped us with our preparation for our elections.”
For the November 2022 election, the county had about 2,300 poll workers. For this year’s primary, it recruited more than 2,500.
And in Kings County — where the county elections office is fully staffed for the first time since 2019 — Registrar of Voters Lupe Villa says he believes more people are looking for work now compared to 2020.
Safety concerns linger
But while safety seems to be less of a concern for election worker recruitment, incidents such as the suspicious envelopes and packages sent to Yuba, Los Angeles and Sacramento elections offices show the danger hasn’t entirely subsided.
No staff were harmed in any of those cases. In January, the Secretary of State’s office said it sent guidance to all counties on safety protocols and coordination with local, state and federal authorities.
Joe Kocurek, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, said Thursday there were no updates on the status of the three investigations, which are being handled by law enforcement agencies.
In response to these incidents, county officials said they have trained employees to administer Narcan — an opioid overdose treatment — and stock gloves and masks to handle mail.
In Sacramento, at least, the scare didn’t seem to hamper the county’s ability to recruit workers for the primary. It has recruited 1,400 workers — including many who helped in prior elections, said Kenneth Casparis, a spokesperson for the county.
Challenges remain
Despite improvement statewide, some counties in California continue to face challenges.
Mono County has struggled to recruit and retain both temporary elections staff and poll workers — even after increasing pay to the minimum wage, said Queenie Barnard, Mono County’s clerk-recorder-registrar.
And in Shasta, where
Donald Trump won 65% of the vote in 2020, not much has changed, says Joanna Fransecut, the assistant registrar of voters. Voters who show up in person are often angry, and yell at staff or workers — which makes it difficult to find workers willing to deal with that for 12 to 16 hours a day for little pay, she said.
“The poll workers that worked in 2020, we would call to recruit them in 2022, and we’d often hear, ‘That last election terrified me, and I don’t feel comfortable coming back immediately. If things settle down in a couple of years, I’ll come back after that point,’” Fransecut said. “So we’re hearing that consistently, and that hasn’t changed.”
In January, Shasta County’s Board of Supervisors voted to allow concealed weapons in local government buildings, including polling places,
in defiance of state law.
Recent state laws, such as one in 2022 that
allows election workers to shield their addresses from the public, hasn’t had a noticeable impact yet, according to election officials throughout the state.
And a law to address the decision by Shasta County’s Board of Supervisors to
cancel its contract with Dominion Voting Machines and require a hand count only decreased trust among some residents, Fransecut said. The law, signed by the governor in October, limits hand-counting to only regular elections with less than 1,000 registered voters, and special elections with fewer than 5,000 voters.
“This isn’t something that’s going away because the state Legislature’s changed the law,” Fransecut said.
An elections commission in the county, which has about
112,000 registered voters, continues to push for hand-counting ballots. But on Tuesday, one of the supervisors who voted to get rid of the voting machines faces a recall election.
Fransecut said she hopes that legislators might understand the different points of view in Shasta County so that they can work together to achieve their shared goal of getting people to vote.
She also said the best way to protect election officials is to provide them with resources and training, especially given the changes in the last few years: “These people have been through a lot of stress, a lot of trauma, just for doing their work.”
But she also had a reminder for voters: “We are, in fact, humans, and people, that have families and children and live in this community. People tend to forget that.”
If you're interested in becoming a poll worker
In California you must be:
- 18 years of age or older (unless participating in the Student Election Worker Program)
- A U.S. citizen and registered to vote in California or a Legal Permanent Resident
In L.A. and many counties, bilingual election workers are "highly needed."
Learn more:
L.A. County
Orange County(future interest)
California Secretary of State info
What questions do you have about the March 5 primary election?Whether it's about how to interpret the results or track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2024 primary election on March 5.
- L.A. Superior Court: There are more than
- A study says that it's undercountedHurricane Irene caused enormous damage in New York state, flooding homes like this one in Prattsville, New York, in 2011.(Monika Graff/Getty Images)
Topline:
A new study counts the human health costs from increasingly costly and dangerous extreme weather in the U.S.
Study details: The study focused on what happened after extreme weather events that cause more than
$1 billion in damage every year. That's a category that has grown steadily over the past decade, driven in part by climate change which can worsen weather phenomena like hurricanes, severe storms, and floods.
Read on ... for more of the study's findings.
Dr. Latoya Storr was an emergency medicine physician for a hospital in Grand Bahama when
Hurricane Dorian ripped across the island in 2019. The hospital flooded four feet deep in places. Storr and her colleagues had to move the intensive care unit, pediatric department, and maternal care into the emergency room area—the only space not totally flooded.
Storr was particularly struck that the health risks for her patients didn't stop when the storm passed. In the first few days after the hurricane, patients showed up with bad bruises from escaping floodwaters or trying to fix their houses. People came to the hospital who had lost their medications when power went out, or they couldn't refill prescriptions. Weeks later, people started showing up with breathing issues because mold had started to grow in their flooded homes.
Storr knows it's not the last time she'll experience a catastrophic storm. "Unfortunately, with climate change, one of the fears that we have is that they may be more severe in intensity," she says—a fear supported by
years of climate research.
A
new study published in Nature Medicine looks directly at the human health impacts from severe weather like hurricanes, floods, and intense storms. The study examined Medicare records before and after weather disasters that incurred more than $1 billion of damages from 2011 to 2016. The analysis didn't include Hurricane Dorian, but it finds exactly what Storr saw: emergency admissions, and even deaths, are higher than expected for days and weeks after storms.
"Based off experience that we've seen unfold in the U.S. and elsewhere, we see that there's destruction and disruption to our ability to deliver the high-quality care we want to give patients in the weeks following the weather disasters," says Renee Salas, an emergency department physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. She's also a researcher at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the study's lead author. The study found that six weeks after a storm, the death rate in counties with the greatest destruction was 2 to 4 times higher than in less impacted areas.
That's a big jump—and those deaths, Salas says, likely went uncounted in the official death tolls.
Emergency departments saw significant upticks in admissions for about two weeks following most major disasters. They could expect about 1,100 extra people to come through their doors in the first week after an average-sized hurricane, and about 30 additional deaths in the first week after a severe storm.
The study focused on what happened after extreme weather events that cause more than
$1 billion in damage every year. That's a category that has grown steadily over the past decade, driven in part by climate change which can worsen weather phenomena like hurricanes, severe storms, and floods. The U.S. Census Bureau recently estimated 2.5 million Americans were forced from their homes by weather disasters in 2023. In that year alone, the costs of damages to homes, roads, and other infrastructure from extreme weather totaled over $90 billion. Because health costs aren't folded into that number, it's probably an underestimate, Salas points out.
Salas's team compared Medicare data from before and after storms or floods in counties that experienced significant economic damage. They looked from 2011 to 2016—a period that included Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and major storms in the Midwest in 2012. The researchers didn't include weather disasters like wildfires and droughts, because the long duration of such events complicates the statistical analyses.
They also did not include heat despite heat
killing more people in the U.S. than any other type of weather disaster. That's because the billion-dollar disaster database, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compiles, notably does not include most extreme heat events.
Similar analyses of post-disaster health impacts have been done for individual storms or disasters, says Kai Chen, an environmental health researcher at Yale University. But they rarely look out more than a few days. Chen says this new study—which looked at many disasters over several years — shows that the human costs of extreme weather are drastically undercounted.
Even the new Harvard analysis likely "could be a conservative number," Chen says. Medicare covers only about 20% of the U.S. population. More people are likely being affected than were captured in the study. Chen says adding in smaller storms, heat, or wildfire health impacts would balloon the numbers.
Weather disasters have "pronounced human impacts," says Greg Wellenius, an environmental epidemiologist at Boston University. He thinks that identifying those real costs, and tracking them more systematically, will help policymakers, hospital directors, and city planners figure out how to "build resilience in our communities to help protect people today and into the future," he says.
Salas remembers a patient who came directly to the emergency department in Boston after getting off a plane from Puerto Rico a few weeks after Hurricane Maria in 2017. She had a ziplock baggie full of empty prescription bottles. Pharmacies on the island didn't have her medications. Salas says it was a clear example of the underappreciated impacts of extreme weather on health.
"Given that billion-dollar disasters have intensified and become much more frequent in the subsequent years, this is something we need to get a handle on," says Salas. Climate Emergency QuestionsFires. Mudslides. Heat waves. What questions do you need answered as you prepare for the effects of the climate emergency?
- Madonna, food festivals, Oscar shorts and moreMadonna performs onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.(Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcp)
This week:
Madonna to Michele Norris, flamenco to food festivals, Warhol shorts to Oscars shorts. And don’t forget to vote!
Our picks:
- Madonna: Celebration Tour; Inglewood - The Queen of Pop kicks off her much-anticipated (and much-delayed) week-long Celebration Tour at the Forum this week.
- 2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Live-Action; Sawtelle - Catch all the Academy Award-nominated short films on the big screen for a limited time.
- Regarding HER Food Festival; Various Locations - The Regarding HER food festival runs all month, with specials celebrating women entrepreneurs and leaders at food establishments around the L.A. area.
Before you do anything this week, read up on ballot initiatives and candidates and
make your voting game plan. Check out our Reddit AMA on voting in Los Angeles and head to your nearest polling station on Tuesday or drop your ballot at a dropbox. To get the results in your inbox, click here to sign up for Make It Make Sense, our limited-run post-election newsletter that will explain what the outcomes mean for your life in Los Angeles.
Then the week is yours to explore new music, check out Oscar nominees on the big screen before they’re gone, eat out at O.C. Restaurant Week, or learn how to make a puppet with LACMA.
Visit LAist.com for more things to explore, including a chat with the founder of that chili crisp you’ve seen at every dinner party –
Fly By Jing- and a list of the best happy hours along Metro’s A Line. Events
-
-
February 27, 2024 through March 14, 2024
Andy Warhol Screen Tests
- Christie’s Los Angeles
336 N Camden Dr., Beverly Hills

MORE INFO(Jeremy Yap/Unsplash)
Art auction house Christie’s worked with the Andy Warhol Museum’s film archive to showcase Warhol’s screen test series. The films are a collection of 3-and-a-half minute portraits of the artist’s friends – a who’s who of pop culture icons.
- Christie’s Los Angeles
-
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Writers Bloc: Michele Norris + Lena Waithe
- The Ebell Lounge
741 S. Lucerne Ave, Wilshire Park

MORE INFO(Courtesy of Writers Bloc/
Former All Things Considered host Michele Norris is on stage at Writers Bloc in conversation with actor-writer-director Lena Waithe (The Chi). Norris will talk about her new book, Our Hidden Conversations. The book grew out of The Race Card Project, which asked Americans to talk about their feelings on race in just six words.
- The Ebell Lounge
-
-
Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 8:00 PM
International Flamenco Festival
- Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach

MORE INFO(Courtesy of Olga Holguín Alta Resolución/
Head down to Redondo Beach – but really be transported to Spain – on Thursday night for an evening of flamenco guitar with “modern master” Tomatito and a dance performance from Karime Amaya. The fun continues at the Wilshire Ebell on Friday and Saturday.
- Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
We are also spoiled for big-name music choices this week. Here’s a short selection:
-
Monday, March 4, 2024 at 8:30 PM
Madonna: Celebration Tour
- Kia Forum
3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood

MORE INFO LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 01: Madonna performs onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcp)(Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for dcp)
The Queen of Pop kicks off her much-anticipated (and much-delayed) week-long Celebration Tour at the Forum this week, bringing all of the Madonna eras to the stage. Now the only question is which are you going to dress as?
- Kia Forum
-
Monday, March 4, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Fall Out Boy: So Much For (2our) Dust
- Honda Center
2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim

MORE INFO Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy perform onstage at the 2024 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO on January 13, 2024 in Anaheim.(Rich Polk/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Pete Wenz and co. bring their So Much For (2our) Dust tour to the Honda Center this week with support from '90s favorites Jimmy Eat World. The pop-punk pioneers have been using on-stage innovations – like a
Magic 8 Ball to predict a surprise song– to delight fans on this latest tour.
- Honda Center
-
Cat Power Sings Dylan
- The United Theatre on Broadway
929 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.

MORE INFO Singer Cat Power performs live on stage during Popload Festival 2022 at Centro Esportivo Tiete in 2022.(Mauricio Santana/Getty Images)
Singer-songwriter Cat Power’s really special album of Bob Dylan covers comes to life at the United Theatre (formerly the Theatre at the Ace Hotel) this week. Power recreated a 1966 Bob Dylan performance and made it her own, bringing iconic songs including "Like a Rolling Stone" to audiences in a new way.
- The United Theatre on Broadway
Viewing Pick
-
March 3, 2024 through March 7, 2024
2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Live-Action
- Landmark's Nuart Theatre
11272 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles

MORE INFO Oscars statues line the red carpet as preparations are made.(Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Just one more week left to squeeze all your Oscar viewing in before the biggest night in Hollywood! Catch all of the Academy Award-nominated short films on the big screen for a limited time so that you’re making an educated guess on your Oscar party ballot and giving a few really powerful lesser-seen films some love at the same time.
- Landmark's Nuart Theatre
Dine & Drink Deals
-
February 29, 2024 through March 31, 2024
Regarding HER Food Festival
- ChocoVivo
12469 Washington Blvd., Mar Vista
- Tuk Tuk Thai
1638 Sawtelle Blvd., Sawtelle
- Milkfarm
2106 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock

MORE INFO(Courtesy of Regarding HER/
The Regarding HER food festival, co-founded by Border Grill chef Mary Sue Milliken, runs all month long this year, with specials celebrating women entrepreneurs and leaders at food establishments around the Los Angeles area. Choose from an olive oil and chocolate celebration at ChocoVivo, a special burger at Tuk Tuk Thai, weekly sandwiches at Milkfarm and Rooted Fare, and more.
- ChocoVivo
-
March 3, 2024 through March 9, 2024
OC Restaurant Week 2024
- Great Maple
1717 Disneyland Dr., Anaheim
- White House
887 S Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim
- Lola's by MFK
2410 E Katella Ave., Anaheim

More Info(Jay Wennington/via Unsplash)
Orange County Restaurant Week runs from March 3 to March 9, with a wide range of menus offering prix fixe deals all week long. From Cajun shrimp benedict at Great Maple to braised rabbit at White House to Filipino favorites at Lola’s, there’s something for everyone.
- Great Maple
-
What questions do you have about Southern California?
-
- The oil industry has taken notice, and respondedGas prices of over $5 a gallon are posted at a petrol station in Alhambra.(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Topline:
As the urgency of addressing climate change grows across the United States, one unprecedented heat wave and flood at a time, cities are finding ways to cut fossil fuels out of their future. But any action that has meaningful consequences, whether it’s an electrification ordinance in Seattle or a prohibition on new gas stations in California, is bound to grab the attention of the powerful industries it hurts.
The backstory: In recent years, California has seen
catastrophic fires, unhealthy pollution from smoke, and wild swings between drought and heavy rain, all enhanced by climate change. Towns across Sonoma and Napa counties have declared a “climate emergency,” and activists see the prohibition of new gas stations as one way to follow through on those words.
Read on ... for deeper perspective from the activists, as well as how the industry is responding.
When oil and gas companies attack a climate campaign, activists usually focus on the obvious negative: One of the world’s biggest industries, with its wealth of resources, is trying to
quash their efforts to, for instance, ban natural gas in buildings.
But in Northern California, where grassroots activists have succeeded in getting towns across Napa and Sonoma counties to prohibit new gas stations, some consider the emerging backlash a sign of validation.
-
This story was originally published by
Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.
-
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
The news of Big Oil’s opposition came to Jim Wilson in late January. The longtime climate activist in Napa County found a flyer in his mailbox one day with a picture of a gas nozzle next to an empty wallet, along with the message “Banning gas stations = higher gas prices.” The mailer, sponsored by the Western States Petroleum Association, the West Coast’s oil industry trade group, warns that efforts to limit new gas stations could lead to less competition and increased costs for the drivers of gas-powered cars.
“I believe that Napa County is the first in the U.S. to have all of the municipalities ban new gas stations,” Wilson said. “And so maybe we’ve rocked the boat.”
As the urgency of addressing climate change grows across the United States, one unprecedented heat wave and flood at a time, cities are finding ways to cut fossil fuels out of their future. But any action that has meaningful consequences, whether it’s an
electrification ordinance in Seattle or a prohibition on new gas stations in California, is bound to grab the attention of the powerful industries it hurts.The front and back of the Western States Petroleum Association flyer distributed in Napa County. Courtesy of Jim Wilson(Courtesy of Jim Wilson)
Wilson, with 350 Bay Area and
Napa Climate Now, advises climate activism efforts for local teenagers, who have led the push to prohibit new gas stations in the area. Liliana Karesh, a junior at Napa High School and a co-president of Napa Schools for Climate Action, said her group has reached out to government officials, participated in public comments, and presented to city councils to get their message across. “We’re in such a state of climate emergency, yet our government continues to approve the building out of these fossil fuel infrastructures,” Karesh said.
The movement to prohibit new gas stations began in 2021 when Petaluma, California, in the neighboring Sonoma County, became the first town in the United States to prohibit new gas stations. From there, bans spread throughout Sonoma and Napa counties; the idea has also been proposed in
Los Angeles, Sacramento, Eugene, Oregon, and north into Kelowna, Canada.
For a while, activists were puzzled why they weren’t seeing more opposition to their efforts, said Woody Hastings, an environmental activist in Sonoma County who helped form the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations. He sees the flyer, along with a new bill introduced in the California State Senate that would limit gas station bans, as signs that the movement has gained enough traction to matter to opponents. “It’s really something,” Hastings said. “It tells us that the Western States Petroleum Association, which is big guns, cares about this.”
In recent years, California has seen
catastrophic fires, unhealthy pollution from smoke, and wild swings between drought and heavy rain, all enhanced by climate change. Towns across Sonoma and Napa counties have declared a “climate emergency,” and activists see the prohibition of new gas stations as one way to follow through on those words.
The bans aren’t really aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions — it’s unclear what kind of effect they have on the climate — but rather ending investments in fossil fuel infrastructure. “We’ve been told it’s a silly thing to do because, you know, it doesn’t matter, because people will just be able to fill up at the existing gas stations,” Hastings said. But he says that residents aren’t clamoring for more gas stations, so local governments don’t need to spend staff time and resources approving and supporting what might soon turn into outdated infrastructure. California plans to
phase out sales of gas-powered cars by 2035 and zero out its carbon emissions by 2045. Gas station developers, Hastings said, “are assuming that they’ll be able to sell gas just like they’ve been selling gas for 100 years.”
Activists also oppose gas stations for the same reason they would oppose the construction of any other pollution-spewing facility. Beneath every neighborhood station sit underground tanks storing thousands of gallons of gasoline and diesel. These tanks are the source of
toxic vapors, vented aboveground through pipes. They’re also famous for leaking, infusing the surrounding soil and groundwater with a host of contaminants. Nearly all underground storage tanks eventually leak, and the cost of cleaning up a single site can top $1 million. Gas stations account for nearly half of the country’s 450,000 contaminated brownfields, sites where the presence of hazardous substances make them difficult to redevelop.
For the oil industry, gas stations are crucial: They’re the end of a long supply chain that starts in the oil fields and ends with people filling up their vehicles. “We’re paying attention across the state where these types of bans are being proposed,” said Kevin Slagle, a spokesperson for the Western States Petroleum Association. He believes the prohibition on new gas stations in parts of California are “a mix of symbolic bans and bans that really would limit fuel supplies in the community.”
Slagle said that restricting the supply of gas stations would lead to increased costs for consumers. For support, the trade group’s flyer points to
a working study from University of California, Berkeley, not yet peer-reviewed, in which economists studied more than 1,000 stations in Mexico and found that adding nearby gas stations led to slightly lower gasoline prices. The flyer is part of the industry’s “ Facts Per Gallon” campaign that launched late last year to draw attention to how California policies, from its cap-and-trade program to low carbon fuel requirements, contribute to some of the highest gas prices in the country.
That same Berkeley study is also mentioned in the text of a bill introduced in late January by Aisha Wahab, a Democratic state senator representing the district east of the Bay Area.
The bill, as written, calls for the California Energy Commission to conduct a study on gas stations and alternative fueling infrastructure, such as electric vehicle chargers. If enacted, it would block local governments from imposing bans starting in January 2025 and lasting until the study is completed, potentially as late as January 1, 2027.
A representative for Wahab told Grist that the original bill contained a “double negative” that was being fixed and said that the bill wouldn’t prevent moratoriums on gas stations, but did not provide further details. Since bills in California can’t be amended for 30 days after they’re introduced, the official text can’t be changed until February 29, according to the state Senate office.
In the meantime, the bans are already having an effect. “We have seen projects in Napa County stranded, and applicants for new gas stations strongly discouraged, because of [Napa] Schools for Climate Action’s work and success,” Wilson said. “This industry must be furious about the progress that children are making in trying to describe their vision for a fossil-free future."
This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/cities/california-cities-ban-new-gas-stations-big-oil…. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org Climate Emergency QuestionsFires. Mudslides. Heat waves. What questions do you need answered as you prepare for the effects of the climate emergency?
- The bias allegations and how to inform your voteThe Los Angeles Superior Court in Compton.(Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Topline:
Election Day is fast approaching. If you’ve been researching for your L.A. County ballot, you may have noticed that two Superior Court judicial candidates in the same race were rated as “ not qualified” by one of the top reviewers. We explore what’s gone on with allegations of bias and how to move forward with your vote.
What ratings are we talking about? The Los Angeles County Bar Association's ratings, which can be one of the only ways for a voter without a legal background to assess whether an L.A. County Superior Court Judge candidate is qualified for the bench.
What are the allegations? The concerns range from feelings of borderline racist questions in one candidate’s evaluation to frustration that an evaluation member did not fully grasp what a candidate’s work entailed as a public defender. All shared concerns that the process is biased against lawyers with a defense background.
How can I find more candidate info? Read our story to learn more.
Los Angeles County elections of Superior Court judges are notoriously hard to vote on, but concerns about a committee that issues ratings on each candidate are making it harder.
This election cycle, 28 candidates are vying for 10 seats on the L.A. County Superior Court, which you can learn about in our
Voter Game Plan. These are people who could, if elected, end up hearing things like your divorce or traffic ticket dispute.
But it’s a race with notoriously little information, which is why the
L.A. County Bar Association(LACBA) — a private, volunteer membership group unaffiliated with the state bar — assesses candidates each judicial election to help you figure out who could be fit for the bench, with ratings ranging from "not qualified," "qualified," "well qualified" and "exceptionally well qualified.”
A good rating is highly sought after and it can help a candidate get more endorsements and votes, but some candidates say a bad rating can sink a campaign before it begins.
This year, for one seat, LACBA rated both candidates running as “not qualified.” It’s renewed concerns the reviewers have a bias against attorneys with certain backgrounds, such as women, people of color and non-prosecutors like public defenders. Of the
committee’s 38 members, only five have current public defender backgrounds. It leaves voters with more questions than answers.
A ‘not qualified’ candidate’s perspective
Recently, a reader wrote into us asking what they should do about the seat where both candidates were rated as not qualified.
In the Judge of the Superior Court Office No. 124 both Emily Theresa Spear and Kimberly Repacka have been deemed Non-Qualified to be judge by the LACBA. They are the only options. How do I find a write in candidate who might be Well Qualified for the position in that Office?
We’ll try to answer that question in a bit, but first let’s take a look at why multiple candidates are saying LACBA’s whole review process is flawed.
You can learn more about the committee’s process here. In a nutshell, LACBA asks for at least 75 references, details about past employment and case history, and it spends weeks interviewing people who know the lawyer to determine whether they may fit within the association’s standards for judicial fitness. It culminates in an interview with the candidate about their findings before ratings are issued.The attributes considered in the evaluations process.(A screenshot of a LACBA presentation via chair Susan Schwartz)
Kim Repecka, one of the two candidates deemed “not qualified” in the Office No. 124 race, is a public defender who’s been practicing law for more than 11 years. According to emails reviewed by LAist, the committee told her before her interview they received information during the investigation that Repecka was “overzealous, rude to opposing counsel, the court, and court reporters, a ‘true believer’, and overly emotional.”
She later learned some of the claims came from opposing counsel and a judge during her time in criminal court.
The committee also told Repecka they had information that indicated “a limited breadth of experience” in terms of the cases. Repecka felt like she’d be able to show that she’d dealt with many different areas of law, but the other issues felt ambiguous. L.A. Superior Court 101
-
Superior Court judges serve six-year terms, but we only vote on those who get challenged in primaries — that’s every two years. Judges serve in
courthouses across L.A. County, from Chatsworth to the airport courthouse.
-
They can be appointed by the governor or voted in. Some common job titles you may see on the ballot include “Attorney At Law,” “Deputy District Attorney” and “Deputy Public Defender.”
“The claim of being too emotional, kind of felt like it had a basis in sexism. I certainly do sometimes feel emotionally about my cases,” Repecka said. “[But] I don't think that's a thing that people should not find desirable in judges, provided their judgment is not clouded by being emotional.”
When Repecka appealed her “not qualified” rating to the full committee, she says someone also made suggestions about her being too young to be a judge and that she may want to wait. They also brought up a
2022 Facebook post she made (at the request of her client) that included her concerns about the prosecutor’s conduct during jury selection and trial, and concerns about police brutality.
At the end of the appeals process, Repecka’s rating stayed the same, with the explanation that the rating was due to her “demeanor, judicial temperament, and professionalism.”
“If they don’t think that people should be upset when they see injustice,” she said, “if they don't think that judges or defense attorneys should be upset when they see unethical behavior, then I guess I don't have the temperament that they want.”
Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School who previously served on that committee, says that temperament is a legitimate criteria when looking for a good judge. Patience and the ability to listen well are key.
“We're looking for people that you think would be fair on your case,” Levenson said.
More candidates describe red flags in interviews
Repecka’s experience brings up a theme common to many concerns. LACBA’s evaluation committee is made up mostly of prosecutors and corporate lawyers, while many issued lower ratings are public defenders. The stark divide between the two is often reflected in the adversarial nature of courtrooms. What is LACBA’s ratings scale?
-
The L.A. County Bar gives candidates one of four ratings: Exceptionally Well Qualified, Well Qualified, Qualified, or Not Qualified.
-
You can see their
2024 report here, and learn more about the ratings process in our guide.
George Turner, a Black deputy public defender running for Office No. 39 who got a “qualified” rating, says his interview was “less than professional” and that questions “teetered on racism.” Two things came up about what he stands for: Turner’s desire to represent his community and to see the bench be more reflective of the people who are in courts.
“One of the interviewers said, ‘well, you know, Black people only make up about 9% of the population of Los Angeles County,” Turner recalled. “‘Are you saying that I would be a better representation because I'm white?’”
The question left Turner taken aback since he didn’t mention race specifically. Ericka Wiley, another deputy public defender running in Office No. 48 who was rated “qualified,” says a prosecutor asked her repeatedly why she’s used mental health diversion in settling cases. (Those programs steer people living with mental illness and drug use issues into treatment instead of incarceration.) Wiley believes this person didn’t know what she was talking about.
“It was very frustrating for me that I was being questioned about what I do and I was going to be rated by someone who had a complete lack of understanding of what's involved in my work,” Wiley said.
Wiley and Turner did not appeal their ratings.
Former LACBA board member Merete Rietveld is also critical of the committee. She says there is an incentive for lawyers interested in being appointed to the bench themselves to join the evaluations committee, and to “tap into that network of people involved in the judicial selection process.” The evaluations committee is also not regulated by outside sources, so people can volunteer for it with only a few years of legal experience.
Did 2022 concerns change anything?
In 2022, LAist ran a story where candidates
raised similar concerns of bias in the ratings process against women, people of color and non-prosecutors.
The story prompted candidate Rhonda Haymon, a deputy public defender running for Office No. 12, to ask the committee this election if they’d made any changes since then. Haymon says she did not hear back and did not submit her information for consideration. LACBA evaluated Haymon without her input, as is their rules, using whatever information they could find. The committee deemed her “not qualified.”
LAist did speak to a number of candidates who were fine with their ratings. Who we spoke to for this story
-
Legal experts:
- Laurie Levenson, professor of law at Loyola Law School
- Merete Rietveld, former L.A. County Bar Association board member
- Susan Swartz, chair of the L.A. County Bar Association’s judicial evaluations committee
-
Judicial candidates:
- Kim Repecka
- Ericka Wiley, George Turner, and La Shae Henderson (all running on the Defenders of Justice slate)
- Sam Abourched
- Christopher Darden
Office No. 130 candidate Christopher Darden, an attorney who’s worked in both prosecution and defense, was rated “well qualified.” And while he’s happy with that rating and generally didn’t have issues with his interviews, he noticed how the committee gave him, and his opponent with less experience, the same rating.
“I do have a problem with a system that equates 44 years of experience like mine with 12 years of doing nothing more than being a prosecutor,” Darden said. “I don't feel like I was discriminated against or treated unfairly but I have a concern that public defenders weren't treated the same way that deputy district attorneys were.”
Candidates for Office No. 97, former deputy public defender La Shae Henderson, who received “qualified” and deputy district attorney Sam Abourched, who received “well qualified,” also felt their interviews went normally.
LACBA’s response
LAist asked LACBA to respond to criticisms, and we received this letter from committee chair Susan Schwartz:
In line with the committee’s process, Schwartz says that she’s not at liberty to respond to specific questions on candidates, but says that their evaluations were consistent and fair. Those interviews and findings are kept confidential.
Schwartz said separately in an interview that the subcommittees which conduct the reviews don’t evaluate candidates against each other, so there can be times where both candidates get low ratings — as is the case with Office No. 124 — or when both get the same rating.
Schwartz also said after our investigation came out in 2022, the committee added another defense lawyer to its ranks and rolled out an implicit bias training.
So what can you do with your vote?
The main takeaway is to use the LACBA ratings cautiously and make your own decisions.
Our Voter Game Plan includes links to candidates’ endorsements groups like political organizations and other judges. You can look up attorneys registered to practice law in California through the
State Bar website. It will show you their license status, contact information, and whether the attorney has been disciplined.
You could also write someone in. The deadline for new candidates to officially launch a write-in campaign has passed, but you can always put a name of someone you’d like to see on the bench. Unfortunately, there’s no list of “well-qualified” attorneys on standby. This will require some extra research on your part.
In the case of the Office No. 124 race, where both candidates were deemed “not qualified,” Schwartz admitted it’s going to be a hard choice for everyone. As for her, she’ll be consulting outside tools like
Vote 411 to make her decision, which is a resource from the League of Women Voters.
Laurie Levenson, the Loyola law professor, says she gets questions about voting on judges all the time. As a former member of LACBA’s evaluations committee, she still uses the ratings they put out. But she says sometimes they don’t end up sharing answers voters want.
“We know that the L.A. Times does a vet and they make their
endorsements. We know that newspapers will evaluate [candidates] other than the L.A. Times,” Levenson said. “For example, the Metropolitan News focuses more on the legal community, and then there's the L.A. Daily Journal.”
Levenson says there’s a few ways to think about the criteria for judges: The level of experience, openness to all members of the community, and a potential to add to a diverse bench that serves everyone’s interests. What questions do you have about the March 5 primary election?Whether it's about how to interpret the results or track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2024 primary election on March 5.
City of Los Angeles
- City Council: There are seven districts seats on this ballot: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14.
- Healthy Streets LA: Take a closer look at Measure HLA, aimed at making streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists — and holding the city accountable to do just that.
L.A. County
- Board of Supervisors: There are three districts on this ballot: 2, 4 and 5.
- District Attorney: Compare the 12 candidates running for District Attorney.
- Los Angeles Unified School District: Here's an overview of the challenges facing the district. Plus: Meet the candidates vying to represent your child's education in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7.
- The judiciary: There are more than two dozen judges up for election or reelection. Plus: Tips to make sure you're putting right person on the bench.
- County Central Committees: There are nearly 200 seats up for election for these committees, which govern L.A.'s political parties.
Overwhelmed? We have some shortcuts for you.
Four races that have the most impact on your day-to-day life
If you care about housing affordability
If you care about homelessness
If you care about public safety and criminal justice
If you care about the climate emergency
Statewide races
- Prop. 1: Evaluating a $6.38 billion bond proposition that aims to create more housing, treatment and support for people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol issues. Plus: A guide to understanding California's Proposition system.
Federal races
Head to the
Voter Game Plan homepage for the latest in election news.
- This time, it's the chicken soup dumplingsPeople stand in line waiting to enter Trader Joe's to buy groceries in Pembroke Pines, Fla., on March 24, 2020.(Brynn Anderson/AP)
Topline:
Trader Joe's has recalled more than 60,000 pounds of its steamed chicken soup dumplings due to some packages possibly containing plastic from a permanent marker, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday.
Details: Products with the "best by" date of March 7, 2025, and lot codes C1-1 or C1-2 may be impacted. Those who have received those products should discard them or return them to their nearest Trader Joe's store to get a full refund.
What's next: No injuries or otherwise negative reactions have been reported.
Trader Joe's has recalled more than 60,000 pounds of its steamed chicken soup dumplings due to some packages possibly containing plastic from a permanent marker,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday.
Products with the "best by" date of March 7, 2025, and lot codes C1-1 or C1-2 may be impacted. Those who have received those products should discard them or return them to their nearest Trader Joe's store to get a full refund.
No injuries or otherwise negative reactions have been reported.
"We have a close relationship with our vendors," Trader Joe's says on its website. "We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. We voluntarily take action quickly, aggressively investigating potential problems and removing the product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality."
The impacted products were manufactured in December 2023 by CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corporation, based in California.
Customers can reach Trader Joe's customer service department at (626) 599-3817 or by email.
Last month, Trader Joe's recalled a frozen pilaf mix earlier this and a
group of its products that contain cotija cheese and could have listeria contamination. Fourteen recalls were issued in 2023 for possibly having salmonella in its cut cantaloupe, rocks in its falafel and cookies and glass in its instant coffee.What questions do you have about Southern California?

Jump to a story

Loading...