latimes--2020-09-01--Family, activists decry shooting death of Black man by L.A. County sheriff's deputies

Family members and activists on Tuesday demanded that the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department release the names of the deputies who shot and killed a Black man in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont the day before .
Monday ’ s shooting death of Dijon Kizzee , 29 , has elicited fresh waves of outcry and outrage , and renewed calls for law enforcement transparency and that those involved be arrested and prosecuted .
“ The deputies essentially executed a man riding his bicycle , ” Najee Ali , a community activist , said Tuesday while standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the scene of the shooting .
“ They ’ ll say he had a gun , but what they won ’ t say was that he was not armed with the gun .
He did not point the gun .
...
There was no reason for deputies to shoot a running man.
” Behind Ali , several balloons were tied to memorial candles on the sidewalk , marking the spot where Kizzee died .
The shooting occurred at 3:16 p.m. in the 1200 block of West 109th Place , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dean said Monday evening that two deputies from the South Los Angeles station were driving on Budlong Avenue when they spotted a man riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes — though Dean said he didn ’ t know what specific codes the man allegedly broke .
Deputies attempted to contact the man , but he dropped the bicycle and ran north on Budlong for one block with deputies in pursuit , Dean said .
Deputies again tried to make contact with the man in the 1200 block of West 109th Place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them in the face .
The man then dropped a bundle of clothing he had been carrying , Dean said .
The deputies spotted a black handgun in the bundle , and both opened fire , killing the man .
Dean said he did not know how many times the man — later identified by coroner ’ s officials as Kizzee — was shot .
Sheriff ’ s officials said a handgun was recovered at the scene .
Ali said that Kizzee was shot in the head and that his family would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Kizzee , an unemployed plumber who lived in Lancaster , had come to the area to visit friends .
Fletcher Fair , Kizzee ’ s aunt , said she was tired of seeing police violence against Black people .
“ Right now , I ’ m sad and I ’ m mad at the same time , ” she said .
“ Why us ?
... We are tired .
We are absolutely tired.
” Anthony Johnson , Kizzee ’ s uncle , said he and residents of the neighborhood where his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleaning his blood off the sidewalk .
He pointed to plastic gloves lying on the pavement , which he said had been left there by law enforcement .
“ They shot him .
They killed him .
The least they could have done was clean up after themselves , ” he said .
He described Kizzee as someone who was “ the life of the party ” and said he last saw his nephew about a week ago in Palmdale .
“ We kind of had a head bump , and I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he said , ‘ I love you back , ’ and I told him to stay safe , ” he said .
Kizzee did not have children and is survived by his younger brother , who just graduated from high school , his family said .
Alida Trejo , 52 , was sitting by her sewing machine Monday when she saw a man being chased by a sheriff ’ s deputy through her window .
Curious , she walked outside to see what was happening and managed to catch the deputy struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yelling at him not to resist and telling the deputy not to shoot .
“ They say the man punched the deputy , but I never saw that happen , ” Trejo said .
“ I heard maybe eight to 11 gunshots , ” Trejo recalled Tuesday .
“ Even when the man was [ on ] the ground , they shot him again.
” Liz Trejo , 16 , was in her room taking a college prep course when she heard gunshots and her mother screaming .
She ran outside and saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They killed him .
They killed him.
” Trejo and her daughter said the shooting was the second on their block in recent months .
They said a young Latino man was shot by deputies west of Budlong Avenue on 109th Place following the death of George Floyd — a 46-year-old Black man who died in May after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned his neck to the ground with his knee .
Gerardo De La Torre , 18 , also recalled the recent shooting : A Latino man had come down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was standing in front of his family ’ s home when sheriff ’ s deputies shot him , De La Torre said .
The Sheriff ’ s Department said at the time that the man had pointed the handgun at officers .
At noon Tuesday , Bobbie Lee , 51 , sat with her 15-year-old daughter and 1-year-old nephew on her front porch and watched a few dozen people congregating across the street , where Kizzee had been shot .
“ I think we ’ re gon na need some damn counseling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neighbors who had seen Kizzee ’ s body — including her daughter , Tabatha Ingram .
Tabatha was inside the house Monday evening when she was startled by gunshots .
She walked outside and saw Kizzee tumble to the ground .
Afterward , neighbors began yelling at deputies .
“ ‘ You don ’ t have to shoot him that many times !
You could have Tased him , ’ ” she recalled them saying .
Her father , Timothy Ingram , said authorities handcuffed Kizzee minutes after he was shot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ body despite neighbors pleading with them to do so .
Authorities , he said , didn ’ t take Kizzee ’ s body away until about midnight or 1 a.m. — more than nine hours after he was shot .
“ I stayed here until they moved the body , ” said Ingram , 52 .
“ I was not going to leave .
...
I felt it was my civic duty to watch over that man.
” Latiera Irby , 29 , had stopped by her mother ’ s house Monday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Kizzee came up to her car — on the street where he was shot — as he was running from deputies .
“ He said , ‘ They ’ re coming to get me ; they ’ re coming to get me , ’ ” she said , adding that Kizzee had offered her money to drive him away .
“ I didn ’ t know who he was running from , so I told him no , ” she said .
Shortly after , she saw him get into a scuffle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At one point , she said , the deputy backed away , then shot Kizzee .
She said the same deputy and another fired at Kizzee after he had fallen to the ground .
“ He had nothing in his hands , ” she said of the slain man .
Irby said she did not sleep Monday night , unable to get the shooting out of her head .
“ All I could see is that man on the ground and [ them ] still shooting him , ” she said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County sheriff ’ s deputies to wear body cameras .
Standing in front of a Black Lives Matter mural in Jefferson Park , Earl Ofari Hutchinson , president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable , asked why the department had yet to equip its deputies with such equipment .
“ All we have to go on this latest shooting is one thing : their version of it , ” he said Tuesday .
“ We ’ re in the dark .
We don ’ t know anything.
” Hutchinson said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend Tuesday ’ s meeting of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to request funding to pay for the equipment .
“ It must be now , and it must be mandatory , ” he said .
The department , he added , has no excuse for the lack of body cameras because officials have had years to figure out what equipment to use and a funding source .
The Los Angeles Police Department , for instance , began deploying body cameras in 2015 .
“ Why does the LAPD have body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department ?
” Hutchinson said .
“ When there ’ s a shooting , law enforcement says one thing , and if we have no way to really verify , then what do we have ?
We have a lot of questions .
You have a lot of controversy , and you have something else too — a community that ’ s outraged.
” The Sheriff ’ s Department is scheduled to start rolling out body-worn cameras in October .
The shooting of Kizzee comes less than three months after another by sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18-year-old Andres Guardado in Gardena sparked weeks of demonstrations .
Protesters took to the streets again Monday , initially gathering in Westmont where Kizzee was shot .
There were chants of “ Say his name , ” “ No justice , no peace ” and “ Black lives matter.
” Some said they didn ’ t think the shooting was justified .
Later in the night , more than 100 people marched to the sheriff ’ s station on Imperial Highway , where demonstrations continued .

Ruben Vives, Leila Miller, Matthew Ormseth, Luke Money

A sheriff’s deputy at the scene on the night of the shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A sheriff’s deputy at the scene of the Aug. 31 protests. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A sheriff’s deputy at the scene of the fatal deputy-involved shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Aug. 31 confrontation lasted into the night and grew tense. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said Kizzee had fled officers and struck one of them during a pursuit. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A resident looks on as protesters gather on Budlong Avenue hours after the Aug. 31 shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Residents face off with L.A. County sheriff’s deputies hours after officers fatally shot Kizzee, a Black man, in South Los Angeles. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Family and friends of Dijon Kizzee stand near the site of the shooting on Aug. 31. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
On Aug. 31, residents confront L.A. County sheriff’s deputies after the Kizzee shooting in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters gather Saturday in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
People look out their window as a crowd walks past Saturday to honor Dijon Kizzee along West Imperial Highway in Los Angeles. (Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times)
People block northbound Interstate 110 on Saturday during a protest of the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee in Los Angeles. (Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters gather Saturday in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
The family of Dijon Kizzee gathers Saturday with protesters in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Lucha Bright, left, of Revolution Club LA, caravans Tuesday with other members throughout a South Los Angeles neighborhood protesting the shooting of Dijon Kizzee. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Rima Williams, cousin of Dijon Kizzee, on Tuesday places a lighted candle at the memorial where Kizzee was shot along the 1300 block of West 109th Place in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies watch a crowd that gathered Tuesday near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
A few people were taken into custody Tuesday after the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department declared an unlawful assembly and moved toward a crowd that gathered near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Demonstrators gather Tuesday near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles, where Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies declared an unlawful assembly. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Family members and activists on Tuesday demanded that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department release the names of the deputies who shot and killed a Black man in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont the day before.
Monday’s shooting death of Dijon Kizzee, 29, has elicited fresh waves of outcry and outrage, and renewed calls for law enforcement transparency and that those involved be arrested and prosecuted.
“The deputies essentially executed a man riding his bicycle,” Najee Ali, a community activist, said Tuesday while standing beside some of Kizzee’s relatives at the scene of the shooting.
“They’ll say he had a gun, but what they won’t say was that he was not armed with the gun. He did not point the gun. ... There was no reason for deputies to shoot a running man.”
Advertisement
Behind Ali, several balloons were tied to memorial candles on the sidewalk, marking the spot where Kizzee died.
The shooting occurred at 3:16 p.m. in the 1200 block of West 109th Place, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Lt. Brandon Dean said Monday evening that two deputies from the South Los Angeles station were driving on Budlong Avenue when they spotted a man riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes — though Dean said he didn’t know what specific codes the man allegedly broke.
Deputies attempted to contact the man, but he dropped the bicycle and ran north on Budlong for one block with deputies in pursuit, Dean said. Deputies again tried to make contact with the man in the 1200 block of West 109th Place, and Dean said he punched one of them in the face.
The man then dropped a bundle of clothing he had been carrying, Dean said. The deputies spotted a black handgun in the bundle, and both opened fire, killing the man. A day after Dean briefed reporters, the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement the man had “made a motion toward the firearm” before deputies shot him.
Advertisement
Dean said he did not know how many times the man — later identified by coroner’s officials as Kizzee — was shot. A handgun was recovered at the scene, he said.
Ali said that Kizzee was shot in the head and that his family would conduct an independent autopsy.
Family members said Kizzee, an unemployed plumber who lived in Lancaster, had come to the area to visit friends.
Fletcher Fair, Kizzee’s aunt, said she was tired of seeing police violence against Black people.
“Right now, I’m sad and I’m mad at the same time,” she said. “Why us? ... We are tired. We are absolutely tired.”
Anthony Johnson, Kizzee’s uncle, said he and residents of the neighborhood where his nephew was shot spent time Tuesday morning cleaning his blood off the sidewalk.
He pointed to plastic gloves lying on the pavement, which he said had been left there by law enforcement.
“They shot him. They killed him. The least they could have done was clean up after themselves,” he said.
He described Kizzee as someone who was “the life of the party” and said he last saw his nephew about a week ago in Palmdale.
“We kind of had a head bump, and I said, ‘I love you,’ and he said, ‘I love you back,’ and I told him to stay safe,” he said.
Kizzee did not have children and is survived by his younger brother, who just graduated from high school, his family said.
Alida Trejo, 52, was sitting by her sewing machine Monday when she saw a man being chased by a sheriff’s deputy through her window.
Curious, she walked outside to see what was happening and managed to catch the deputy struggling to arrest the man. Neighbors were yelling at him not to resist and telling the deputy not to shoot.
“They say the man punched the deputy, but I never saw that happen,” Trejo said.
Then, gunfire erupted.
“I heard maybe eight to 11 gunshots,” Trejo recalled Tuesday. “Even when the man was [on] the ground, they shot him again.”
Liz Trejo, 16, was in her room taking a college prep course when she heard gunshots and her mother screaming.
She ran outside and saw her mom yelling and crying hysterically: “They killed him. They killed him.”
Trejo and her daughter said the shooting was the second on their block in recent months. They said a young Latino man was shot by deputies west of Budlong Avenue on 109th Place following the death of George Floyd — a 46-year-old Black man who died in May after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned his neck to the ground with his knee.
Gerardo De La Torre, 18, also recalled the recent shooting: A Latino man had come down his street, gun in hand, and was standing in front of his family’s home when sheriff’s deputies shot him, De La Torre said. The Sheriff’s Department said at the time that the man had pointed the handgun at officers.
At noon Tuesday, Bobbie Lee, 51, sat with her 15-year-old daughter and 1-year-old nephew on her front porch and watched a few dozen people congregating across the street, where Kizzee had been shot.
“I think we’re gonna need some damn counseling,” she said, referring to the neighbors who had seen Kizzee’s body — including her daughter, Tabatha Ingram.
Tabatha was inside the house Monday evening when she was startled by gunshots. She walked outside and saw Kizzee tumble to the ground. Afterward, neighbors began yelling at deputies.
“‘You don’t have to shoot him that many times! You could have Tased him,’” she recalled them saying.
Her father, Timothy Ingram, said authorities handcuffed Kizzee minutes after he was shot. He said officials refused to cover his body despite neighbors pleading with them to do so.
Authorities, he said, didn’t take Kizzee’s body away until about midnight or 1 a.m. — more than nine hours after he was shot.
“I stayed here until they moved the body,” said Ingram, 52. “I was not going to leave. ... I felt it was my civic duty to watch over that man.”
Latiera Irby, 29, had stopped by her mother’s house Monday to get her hair done. She said that Kizzee came up to her car — on the street where he was shot — as he was running from deputies.
“He said, ‘They’re coming to get me; they’re coming to get me,’ ” she said, adding that Kizzee had offered her money to drive him away.
“I didn’t know who he was running from, so I told him no,” she said.
Shortly after, she saw him get into a scuffle with a sheriff’s deputy. At one point, she said, the deputy backed away, then shot Kizzee. She said the same deputy and another fired at Kizzee after he had fallen to the ground.
“He had nothing in his hands,” she said of the slain man.
Irby said she did not sleep Monday night, unable to get the shooting out of her head.
“All I could see is that man on the ground and [them] still shooting him,” she said.
The shooting also has prompted renewed calls for L.A. County sheriff’s deputies to wear body cameras.
Standing in front of a Black Lives Matter mural in Jefferson Park, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, asked why the department had yet to equip its deputies with such equipment.
“All we have to go on this latest shooting is one thing: their version of it,” he said Tuesday. “We’re in the dark. We don’t know anything.”
Hutchinson said he and other civil rights leaders planned to attend Tuesday’s meeting of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to request funding to pay for the equipment.
“It must be now, and it must be mandatory,” he said.
The department, he added, has no excuse for the lack of body cameras because officials have had years to figure out what equipment to use and a funding source.
The Los Angeles Police Department, for instance, began deploying body cameras in 2015.
“Why does the LAPD have body cameras and not the Sheriff’s Department?” Hutchinson said. “When there’s a shooting, law enforcement says one thing, and if we have no way to really verify, then what do we have? We have a lot of questions. You have a lot of controversy, and you have something else too — a community that’s outraged.”
The Sheriff’s Department is scheduled to start rolling out body-worn cameras in October.
The shooting of Kizzee comes less than three months after another controversial fatal shooting by sheriff’s deputies. The death of 18-year-old Andres Guardado in Gardena sparked weeks of demonstrations.
Protesters took to the streets again Monday, initially gathering in Westmont where Kizzee was shot. There were chants of “Say his name,” “No justice, no peace” and “Black lives matter.” Some said they didn’t think the shooting was justified.
Later in the night, more than 100 people marched to the sheriff’s station on Imperial Highway, where demonstrations continued.
Times staff writer Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-01--California may be the first state to develop its own generic drugs

California is poised to become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs , targeting soaring drug prices and stepping into a fiercely competitive drug market dominated by deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies .
The Democratic-controlled Legislature overwhelmingly approved a measure Monday that would direct the state ’ s top health agency to partner with one or more drug companies by January to make or distribute a broad range of generic or biosimilar drugs — including the diabetes medicine insulin — that are cheaper than brand-name products .
The bill , SB-852 , also opens the door for California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom will have until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the measure .
“ People need these drugs , but prices are through the roof , so we ’ re saying there ’ s a role for the state to bring prices down , ” said the bill ’ s author , state Sen. Richard Pan ( D-Sacramento ) .
The measure is more important than ever , he said , because COVID-19 has exposed “ glaring gaps ” in the ability of public and private entities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchasers — to maintain adequate supplies of medicines , equipment and devices .
Newsom , a Democrat , floated his own generic drug proposal in January as part of his broader drug agenda to reduce pharmaceutical costs , but was forced to abandon his plan in May as he and lawmakers sought to address a pandemic-induced $ 54-billion budget deficit .
Though it could take years to bring a new California generic product to the market , the move would put the nation ’ s most populous state in direct competition with major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could also help the state use its massive purchasing power to drive down drug prices .
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America , which represents brand-name drug makers , has taken a neutral position on the bill and declined to comment .
But Brett Michelin , lead lobbyist for the Washington , D.C.-based Assn .
for Accessible Medicines , which represents generic-drug makers , said his companies aren ’ t threatened by the possibility of California entering the market — and even welcome it .
“ Generic manufacturers are more than open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Michelin said .
“ I think having a fair and open process to sell drugs and compete for customers is what the generic industry is very used to and comfortable with.
” Under the measure , state-developed generics would be “ widely ” available to public and private purchasers within California .
Taxpayers would pick up the costs — roughly $ 1 million to $ 2 million in startup funding , plus ongoing staff costs estimated in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars annually , according to a state fiscal analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state would make or procure , though it would target drugs that could produce the biggest cost savings for the state and consumers .
But the bill specifically calls for the production of “ at least one form of insulin , provided that a viable pathway for manufacturing a more affordable form of insulin exists at a price that results in savings.
” Insulin is a biologic drug , made with living cells .
Once a biologic hits the market , rival copycat products that follow are called biosimilars .
Three major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sanofi and Novo Nordisk — have long controlled the lucrative insulin market in the U.S. California would be the first entity to produce a biosimilar version of one of the newer , fast- and long-acting insulins on a not-for-profit basis , said Jane Horvath , a health policy consultant in Washington , D.C .
Although it would be costly and could take years , the Utah-based nonprofit drug company Civica Rx , is discussing partnering with California to produce generic or biosimilar drugs .
The company , which consulted with Pan on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals with major health systems running short on critical drugs , including the Department of Veterans Affairs , and is producing lower-cost generics for Blue Shield of California and other insurers .
“ There ’ s no doubt insulin would be a more complex and expensive drug to develop , but it ’ s certainly possible , ” said Allan Coukell , the company ’ s senior vice president of public policy .
Patients who need insulin have faced huge cost spikes .
A 2019 report by the Health Care Cost Institute concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 to 2016 .
And California health insurance regulators found last year that diabetes medications accounted for nine of the 25 costliest brand-name drugs sold in the state .
“ It ’ s a big deal — diabetes affects a lot of people who rely on insulin for their very lives , ” said Larry Levitt , executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation .
“ And insulin has probably been the poster child for unreasonable drug pricing.
” Laura Marston , a Washington , D.C.-based lawyer with diabetes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she ’ s excited about California ’ s idea .
Marston has been on the same insulin , Humalog , since 1996 .
At that time , the price was $ 21 a vial , but has since ballooned to more than $ 275 a vial , she said .
“ If there was a lower-cost option and the price wasn ’ t going to be raised , I would absolutely switch from Humalog , ” she said .
“ I feel held totally hostage to these pharmaceutical companies.
” Marston said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do the same thing , “ so it could apply to all patients.
” Congressional efforts to tackle rising prices for insulin and other drugs fizzled last year in the face of opposition from the influential pharmaceutical lobby .
So states have increasingly sought ways to regulate a for-profit industry in which brand-name manufacturers hold near-monopoly power .
Colorado last year became the first state to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $ 100 for a 30-day supply .
It was followed by at least nine other states , from New Mexico to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
California had already capped out-of-pocket drug costs at $ 250 to $ 500 for a 30-day supply , but a measure that would have lowered the cap for insulin to $ 100 a month stalled this year — a casualty of a pandemic-shortened legislative calendar .
Newsom ’ s office declined to comment on the generic drug legislation .
But recent changes to the proposal reflect direct negotiations with the administration , Pan ’ s office said .
Newsom spokesperson Jesse Melgar said in a statement that “ the governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage has not changed and making prescription drugs affordable is one more step toward that goal.
” Should Newsom sign the bill into law , the state Health and Human Services Agency would have 18 months to identify a list of drugs the state could manufacture , with a report due to the legislature by July 2022 .
By July the following year , the state would be required to assess whether it can manufacture its own generics and biosimilars .
The bill calls for state health officials to prioritize development of generics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urges production of those that can be delivered through mail order .
California could emerge as a leader in the national drug debate , Levitt said .
“ If California can pull it off , it would be a model for other states and federally , ” he said .
“ For it to pull this off means it can be done at scale.
” Angela Hart and Samantha Young write for , a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of the that is not @ @ @ @ @

California could become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill approved by the legislature Monday.
California is poised to become the first state to develop its own line of generic drugs, targeting soaring drug prices and stepping into a fiercely competitive drug market dominated by deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies.
The Democratic-controlled Legislature overwhelmingly approved a measure Monday that would direct the state’s top health agency to partner with one or more drug companies by January to make or distribute a broad range of generic or biosimilar drugs — including the diabetes medicine insulin — that are cheaper than brand-name products.
The bill, SB-852, also opens the door for California to make its own generic drugs in the future.
Advertisement
Gov. Gavin Newsom will have until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the measure.
“People need these drugs, but prices are through the roof, so we’re saying there’s a role for the state to bring prices down,” said the bill’s author, state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento).
The measure is more important than ever, he said, because COVID-19 has exposed “glaring gaps” in the ability of public and private entities — including major hospitals and government drug purchasers — to maintain adequate supplies of medicines, equipment and devices.
Newsom, a Democrat, floated his own generic drug proposal in January as part of his broader drug agenda to reduce pharmaceutical costs, but was forced to abandon his plan in May as he and lawmakers sought to address a pandemic-induced $54-billion budget deficit.
Though it could take years to bring a new California generic product to the market, the move would put the nation’s most populous state in direct competition with major generic and brand-name drug makers. It could also help the state use its massive purchasing power to drive down drug prices.
Advertisement
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which represents brand-name drug makers, has taken a neutral position on the bill and declined to comment.
But Brett Michelin, lead lobbyist for the Washington, D.C.-based Assn. for Accessible Medicines, which represents generic-drug makers, said his companies aren’t threatened by the possibility of California entering the market — and even welcome it.
“Generic manufacturers are more than open to doing this kind of partnership,” Michelin said. “I think having a fair and open process to sell drugs and compete for customers is what the generic industry is very used to and comfortable with.”
Under the measure, state-developed generics would be “widely” available to public and private purchasers within California. Taxpayers would pick up the costs — roughly $1 million to $2 million in startup funding, plus ongoing staff costs estimated in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, according to a state fiscal analysis.
It’s unclear which drugs the state would make or procure, though it would target drugs that could produce the biggest cost savings for the state and consumers. But the bill specifically calls for the production of “at least one form of insulin, provided that a viable pathway for manufacturing a more affordable form of insulin exists at a price that results in savings.”
Insulin is a biologic drug, made with living cells. Once a biologic hits the market, rival copycat products that follow are called biosimilars.
Three major drug companies — Eli Lilly and Co., Sanofi and Novo Nordisk — have long controlled the lucrative insulin market in the U.S. California would be the first entity to produce a biosimilar version of one of the newer, fast- and long-acting insulins on a not-for-profit basis, said Jane Horvath, a health policy consultant in Washington, D.C.
Although it would be costly and could take years, the Utah-based nonprofit drug company Civica Rx, is discussing partnering with California to produce generic or biosimilar drugs. The company, which consulted with Pan on his bill, has already hammered out deals with major health systems running short on critical drugs, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, and is producing lower-cost generics for Blue Shield of California and other insurers.
“There’s no doubt insulin would be a more complex and expensive drug to develop, but it’s certainly possible,” said Allan Coukell, the company’s senior vice president of public policy.
Patients who need insulin have faced huge cost spikes. A 2019 report by the Health Care Cost Institute concluded that average prices for insulin doubled from 2012 to 2016. And California health insurance regulators found last year that diabetes medications accounted for nine of the 25 costliest brand-name drugs sold in the state.
“It’s a big deal — diabetes affects a lot of people who rely on insulin for their very lives,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “And insulin has probably been the poster child for unreasonable drug pricing.”
Laura Marston, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer with diabetes who advocates for lower insulin prices, said she’s excited about California’s idea.
Marston has been on the same insulin, Humalog, since 1996. At that time, the price was $21 a vial, but has since ballooned to more than $275 a vial, she said.
“If there was a lower-cost option and the price wasn’t going to be raised, I would absolutely switch from Humalog,” she said. “I feel held totally hostage to these pharmaceutical companies.”
Marston said she’d like the federal government to do the same thing, “so it could apply to all patients.”
California California legislators cap off session with several COVID-19 protection bills At the end of a legislative session marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators passed a series of bills to provide protections for those affected by the coronavirus.
Congressional efforts to tackle rising prices for insulin and other drugs fizzled last year in the face of opposition from the influential pharmaceutical lobby. So states have increasingly sought ways to regulate a for-profit industry in which brand-name manufacturers hold near-monopoly power.
Colorado last year became the first state to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 for a 30-day supply. It was followed by at least nine other states, from New Mexico to New York, whose cost-sharing caps vary.
California had already capped out-of-pocket drug costs at $250 to $500 for a 30-day supply, but a measure that would have lowered the cap for insulin to $100 a month stalled this year — a casualty of a pandemic-shortened legislative calendar.
Newsom’s office declined to comment on the generic drug legislation. But recent changes to the proposal reflect direct negotiations with the administration, Pan’s office said.
Newsom spokesperson Jesse Melgar said in a statement that “the governor’s goal of a sustainable system of universal coverage has not changed and making prescription drugs affordable is one more step toward that goal.”
Should Newsom sign the bill into law, the state Health and Human Services Agency would have 18 months to identify a list of drugs the state could manufacture, with a report due to the legislature by July 2022. By July the following year, the state would be required to assess whether it can manufacture its own generics and biosimilars.
The bill calls for state health officials to prioritize development of generics for chronic and high-cost health conditions, and urges production of those that can be delivered through mail order.
California could emerge as a leader in the national drug debate, Levitt said.
“If California can pull it off, it would be a model for other states and federally,” he said. “For it to pull this off means it can be done at scale.”


latimes--2020-09-01--At Freedom Schools, empowering Black and Latino students is part of the lesson plan

The lesson that July day told of a slave who taught himself how to read , then became such an accomplished poet that young white men paid him to write verses to their girlfriends .
If the slave , George Moses Horton , charged 25 cents a poem and sold 12 poems in a week , how much did he earn ?
Itzel Gama asked a small group of third- to fifth-graders after they had read a book about Horton .
The students called out their answers through masks under a white tent in the Pueblo del Rio public housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the math exercise , they would pen their own poems .
For Gama ’ s students and the 30 or so others in the Freedom Schools program at Pueblo del Rio , it has been a summer like no other , amid a surging coronavirus crisis and a national movement against police brutality following the killing of George Floyd .
Since 1995 , Freedom Schools have filled the summers of mostly Black and Latino children from low-income households around the country providing lessons and books about people who look like them — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make friends , a Black boy in Chicago making sense of his classmate ’ s death by gang violence .
While strengthening their reading , writing and math skills in the six-week program , the students learn that they , too , can change the world — an especially relevant lesson given the ongoing upheaval .
“ Over the summer , we ’ ve basically been teaching the kids a lot about their history and the barriers we have to go through , ” said Cory Butler , site coordinator for Pueblo del @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Getting them to understand where we come from will better help them understand where we are going.
” Founded by the Children ’ s Defense Fund , the Freedom Schools were modeled after schools of the same name established in Mississippi in the summer of 1964 to teach Black history , leadership skills and the tenets of the civil rights movement , as well as basic literacy .
The fund oversees the program , which operates at more than 180 sites around the country , but each school pays its own way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is what Black and brown children need , ” said L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas , a longtime proponent of the program .
“ They need a sense of affirmation that causes them to know that they can do it in spite of adversity.
” Freedom School teachers are college students or recent graduates from the area .
They get summer jobs and teaching experience , while the students get role models .
The students pay no fees and receive free meals while attending classes .
This year , the Pueblo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students who live in the housing development , struggled to pay its expenses , despite a grant from L.A. County that covered books and training .
Alfredo Gama , a volunteer with the program , started a GoFundMe for basics such as meals , teacher salaries and coronavirus hygiene supplies .
COVID-19 also forced the cancellation of many summer programs and hit Black and Latino families especially hard with job losses and illness .
“ This summer gap is very crucial , especially for our children that are in low-income environments , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pueblo del Rio site .
“ It ’ s important that we can close that gap a little bit , so that for the upcoming year , they ’ re not behind.
” Because of coronavirus concerns midway through the program , the Freedom School had to move out of a recreation center at Pueblo del Rio to a smaller outdoor location under two tents .
The classes had to be staggered , with kindergartners to second-graders meeting in the mornings and third- to eighth-graders in the afternoons .
Noise from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some students dropped out , and its 35-student attendance dropped by about half .
The program wrapped up days before the first day of online classes in the L.A. school district .
To further support students , two Freedom School teachers are looking for funding for a mentoring center at Pueblo del Rio that would provide internet access and help students with online homework during the school year .
For now , Freedom School graduates are heading into their online schooling with a newfound sense of themselves and their history .
Alex , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Last Days of a Southside Shorty , ” a graphic novel by author G. Neri and illustrator Randy DuBurke based on a true story of an 11-year-old boy whose classmate was killed in a gang shooting .
Assigned to create his own comic book , Alex decided to write a more hopeful ending and portray the shooting victim more positively .
“ I made drawings that made him nicer , and that was better than just having anything to do with gun violence , ” said Alex , whose guardian asked that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is in foster care .
Some students are reflecting about what they learned in the context of this summer ’ s protests against police treatment of Black and Latino people .
“ Freedom Schools is helping people learn about their equal rights , and now , since stuff has been happening , Freedom Schools is even more into it , ” said Marina Delavega , 13 .
For Cherish Purnell , 14 , the program itself is a form of protest , rooted in understanding each other better rather than marching in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freedom Schools is a protest to bring all colors together to help us learn about each person ’ s background and experiences , ” she said .
Frank Rojas is an editorial assistant with The Times .
He was a Freedom Schools teacher in 2017 .

Nyairee Jenkins, right, reads a book in an outdoor class under a canopy at Freedom Schools, a six-week summer literacy and cultural enrichment program designed for youth in grades K-12 in communities where quality academic enrichment is limited.
The lesson that July day told of a slave who taught himself how to read, then became such an accomplished poet that young white men paid him to write verses to their girlfriends.
If the slave, George Moses Horton, charged 25 cents a poem and sold 12 poems in a week, how much did he earn? Itzel Gama asked a small group of third- to fifth-graders after they had read a book about Horton.
The students called out their answers through masks under a white tent in the Pueblo del Rio public housing development in South Los Angeles. After the math exercise, they would pen their own poems.
Advertisement
For Gama’s students and the 30 or so others in the Freedom Schools program at Pueblo del Rio, it has been a summer like no other, amid a surging coronavirus crisis and a national movement against police brutality following the killing of George Floyd.
Since 1995, Freedom Schools have filled the summers of mostly Black and Latino children from low-income households around the country providing lessons and books about people who look like them — a boy of Puerto Rican heritage trying to make friends, a Black boy in Chicago making sense of his classmate’s death by gang violence.
While strengthening their reading, writing and math skills in the six-week program, the students learn that they, too, can change the world — an especially relevant lesson given the ongoing upheaval.
“Over the summer, we’ve basically been teaching the kids a lot about their history and the barriers we have to go through,” said Cory Butler, site coordinator for Pueblo del Rio’s Freedom School. “Getting them to understand where we come from will better help them understand where we are going.”
Founded by the Children’s Defense Fund, the Freedom Schools were modeled after schools of the same name established in Mississippi in the summer of 1964 to teach Black history, leadership skills and the tenets of the civil rights movement, as well as basic literacy. The fund oversees the program, which operates at more than 180 sites around the country, but each school pays its own way.
“It is the pedagogy of empowerment. That is what Black and brown children need,” said L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, a longtime proponent of the program. “They need a sense of affirmation that causes them to know that they can do it in spite of adversity.”
Freedom School teachers are college students or recent graduates from the area. They get summer jobs and teaching experience, while the students get role models.
The students pay no fees and receive free meals while attending classes. This year, the Pueblo del Rio program, which mostly served students who live in the housing development, struggled to pay its expenses, despite a grant from L.A. County that covered books and training.
Advertisement
Alfredo Gama, a volunteer with the program, started a GoFundMe for basics such as meals, teacher salaries and coronavirus hygiene supplies.
COVID-19 also forced the cancellation of many summer programs and hit Black and Latino families especially hard with job losses and illness.
“This summer gap is very crucial, especially for our children that are in low-income environments,” said Clarke Patterson, a teacher at the Pueblo del Rio site. “It’s important that we can close that gap a little bit, so that for the upcoming year, they’re not behind.”
Because of coronavirus concerns midway through the program, the Freedom School had to move out of a recreation center at Pueblo del Rio to a smaller outdoor location under two tents. The classes had to be staggered, with kindergartners to second-graders meeting in the mornings and third- to eighth-graders in the afternoons. Noise from the nearby train tracks was a distraction. Some students dropped out, and its 35-student attendance dropped by about half.
The program wrapped up days before the first day of online classes in the L.A. school district. To further support students, two Freedom School teachers are looking for funding for a mentoring center at Pueblo del Rio that would provide internet access and help students with online homework during the school year.
For now, Freedom School graduates are heading into their online schooling with a newfound sense of themselves and their history.
Alex, 9, enjoyed reading “Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty,” a graphic novel by author G. Neri and illustrator Randy DuBurke based on a true story of an 11-year-old boy whose classmate was killed in a gang shooting.
Assigned to create his own comic book, Alex decided to write a more hopeful ending and portray the shooting victim more positively.
“I made drawings that made him nicer, and that was better than just having anything to do with gun violence,” said Alex, whose guardian asked that his last name not be used because he is in foster care.
Some students are reflecting about what they learned in the context of this summer’s protests against police treatment of Black and Latino people.
“Freedom Schools is helping people learn about their equal rights, and now, since stuff has been happening, Freedom Schools is even more into it,” said Marina Delavega, 13.
For Cherish Purnell, 14, the program itself is a form of protest, rooted in understanding each other better rather than marching in the streets.
“I feel like Freedom Schools is a protest to bring all colors together to help us learn about each person’s background and experiences,” she said.
Frank Rojas is an editorial assistant with The Times. He was a Freedom Schools teacher in 2017.


latimes--2020-09-01--Will Hollywood Burbank Airport finally get a new terminal? COVID-19 is the latest hurdle

When federal regulators first warned operators of the Hollywood Burbank Airport that the terminal was located too close to the runways , a gallon of regular gasoline cost $ 1.19 , leg warmers were all the rage and “ Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back ” was one of the top grossing movies in theaters .
Nearly 40 years later , the Federal Aviation Administration has completed an environmental study that would normally signal the final step before construction can begin on a replacement for the airport ’ s cramped 90-year-old facility .
But after decades of setbacks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quest to build a modern terminal that meets federal safety requirements may be delayed again by the pandemic , which has pushed demand for air travel to record lows .
“ I can ’ t imagine a project with a more solid footing than this , ” said Patrick Lammerding , the airport ’ s deputy executive director of planning and development .
“ The wildcard is COVID.
” The next step in the process is a 45-day public review of the environmental impact statement , which analyzes traffic , air pollution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The review period began last week .
But how to pay for the $ 1.2-billion project is still up in the air because the pandemic has severely reduced airport revenue , making it difficult for the airport to turn to a traditional bond measure for the financing , Lammerding said .
How much an airport can raise toward paying off a construction bond is based on how much revenue is generated by a passenger facility charge — a fee charged to each ticketed flyer .
But the pandemic has squashed demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airport reporting an 81 % drop in passengers in June , compared to June 2019 .
Instead of starting construction next year , Lammerding said , the pandemic has put the construction start date in limbo .
The public has until Oct. 5 to comment on the draft environmental impact statement on the a new 355,000-square-foot terminal with 14 gates , a 413,000-square-foot aircraft parking apron and a five-to-seven story parking structure that can hold up to 6,600 cars .
Virtual public hearings on the new terminal are scheduled for Sept. 23 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the hearings must register online .
The new facility would be located in the northwest region of the airport , in what was once Lockheed-Martin ’ s B-6 plant .
The existing terminal is 232,000 square feet with 14 gates and in some places is located 313 feet from a runway , less than half the 750 feet required by current safety regulations .
Federal officials began discussing the need to replace the terminal in January 1980 .
Parts of the existing building date back to 1930 , before modern seismic safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1930 , the airport near the intersection of North Hollywood Way and Empire Avenue has brandished many names , including Union Airport , Lockheed Air Terminal , the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport and Bob Hope Airport , for the comedian and actor who lived in nearby Toluca Lake .
The airport was rebranded as the Hollywood Burbank Airport in 2016 to help remind out-of-town travelers of its proximity to Los Angeles .
The effort to replace the 90-year-old terminal has been delayed repeatedly by land sales at the airport , litigation involving the city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must first approve building a new terminal .
A ballot measure to green light a new terminal passed with about 70 % of the vote in 2016 .
Throughout the debate over building a new terminal , some neighborhood groups spoke out against the new facility , arguing that it would lead to more flights , more road traffic , more aircraft noise and more pollution .
The new terminal won ’ t increase the number of gates but will be about 53 % bigger .
A group called Studio City for Quiet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years and has sponsored a Change.org petition opposing the new terminal .
The petition has collected more than 2,500 signatures .
Airport critics who have signed the petition object primarily to new flight patterns that have increased noise over nearby Studio City .
They vow to oppose the new terminal until the flight patterns are changed .
“ Until the departure jet path over our communities moves back to the historical flight path , we will actively oppose the replacement terminal , ” the petition says .
The group issued a statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will accommodate more travelers and bigger planes , which will “ increase already critical negative impacts to the entire San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains.
” Alan Dymond , president of the Studio City Residents Assn.
, said he is not opposed to building a new terminal to meet safety requirements .
He said the proposed terminal has nothing to do with the increasing airport noise problem .
“ We understand that people are conflating the new terminal with the real issue , which is the noise from the airport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to link the two together.
” Critics of the airport have blamed the new departure patterns on the FAA ’ s new NextGen system , a satellite-based navigation program that is designed to replace an aging radar-based system to improve flight time , fuel efficiency and safety .
The FAA has acknowledged that in recent years more flights have been departing Hollywood Burbank Airport and turning further south over Studio City and Sherman Oaks , but the agency said the NextGen system that was implemented in 2017 was not to blame .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ navigation points are too far from the airport to influence the direction of the takeoffs .

When federal regulators first warned the operators of Hollywood Burbank Airport that the terminal was too close to the runways, a gallon of regular gasoline cost $1.19, leg warmers were all the rage and “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” was one of the top grossing movies in theaters.
Nearly 40 years later, the Federal Aviation Administration has completed an environmental study that would normally signal the final step before construction can begin on a replacement for the airport’s cramped 90-year-old facility.
For the record: A previous version of this story described the location of the proposed terminal in the northwest quadrant of the airport. It is being proposed in the northeast quadrant.
But after decades of setbacks, legal disputes and neighborhood opposition, the quest to build a modern terminal that meets federal safety requirements may be delayed again by the pandemic, which has pushed demand for air travel to record lows.
“I can’t imagine a project with a more solid footing than this,” said Patrick Lammerding, the airport’s deputy executive director of planning and development. “The wild card is COVID.”
Advertisement
The next step in the process is a 45-day public review of the environmental impact statement, which analyzes traffic, air pollution, noise and other effects of the project. The review period began last week.
But how to pay for the $1.2-billion project is still up in the air because the pandemic has severely reduced airport revenue, making it difficult for the airport to turn to a traditional bond measure for the financing, Lammerding said.
How much an airport can raise toward paying off a construction bond is based on how much revenue is generated by a passenger facility charge — a fee charged to each ticketed flier. But the pandemic has squashed demand for air travel nationwide, with Hollywood Burbank Airport reporting an 81% drop in passengers in June, compared with June 2019.
Instead of starting construction next year, Lammerding said, the pandemic has put the construction start date in limbo.
The public has until Oct. 5 to comment on the draft environmental impact statement on the new 355,000-square-foot terminal with 14 gates, a 413,000-square-foot aircraft parking apron and a five- to seven-story parking structure that would hold up to 6,600 cars.
Virtual public hearings on the new terminal are scheduled for Sept. 23 and 24. People who want to speak during the hearings must register online.
The new facility would be located in the northeast region of the airport, in what was once Lockheed Martin’s B6 plant.
The existing terminal is 232,000 square feet with 14 gates and in some places is 313 feet from a runway, less than half the 750 feet required by current safety regulations. Federal officials began discussing the need to replace the terminal in January 1980. Parts of the existing building date to 1930, before modern seismic safety rules were adopted.
Bob Hope and actress Jayne Mansfield prepare to leave from Burbank’s Lockheed Air Terminal in 1957 for USO shows overseas. (Steve Fontanini / Los Angeles Times)
Since opening in 1930, the airport near the intersection of North Hollywood Way and Empire Avenue has carried many names, including United Airport, Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport and Bob Hope Airport, for the comedian and actor who lived in nearby Toluca Lake.
The airport was rebranded as Hollywood Burbank Airport in 2016 to help remind out-of-town travelers of its proximity to Los Angeles.
The effort to replace the 90-year-old terminal has been delayed repeatedly by land sales at the airport, litigation involving the city of Burbank and the requirement that Burbank voters must first approve building a new terminal. A ballot measure to greenlight a new terminal passed with about 70% of the vote in 2016.
Advertisement
Throughout the debate over building a new terminal, some neighborhood groups spoke out against the new facility, arguing that it would lead to more flights, more road traffic, more aircraft noise and more pollution. The new terminal won’t increase the number of gates but will be about 53% bigger.
California Noise Study Ordered at Burbank Airport Aviation: Panel’s decision is expected to delay construction of a replacement terminal, sought for two decades, for at least three years.
A group called Studio City for Quiet Skies has railed against the project for years and has sponsored a Change.org petition opposing the new terminal. The petition has collected more than 2,500 signatures.
Airport critics who have signed the petition object primarily to new flight patterns that have increased noise over nearby Studio City. They vow to oppose the new terminal until the flight patterns are changed.
“Until the departure jet path over our communities moves back to the historical flight path, we will actively oppose the replacement terminal,” the petition says.
The group issued a statement, saying it opposes the new terminal because it will accommodate more travelers and bigger planes, which will “increase already critical negative impacts to the entire San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains.”
Alan Dymond, president of the Studio City Residents Assn., said he is not opposed to building a new terminal to meet safety requirements. He said the proposed terminal has nothing to do with the increasing airport noise problem.
“We understand that people are conflating the new terminal with the real issue, which is the noise from the airport,” he said. “They are trying to link the two together.”
Residents voiced their noise concerns to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority in July 2019. (Anthony Clark Carpio / Burbank Leader)
Critics of the airport have blamed the new departure patterns on the FAA’s new NextGen system, a satellite-based navigation program that is designed to replace an aging radar-based system to improve flight time, fuel efficiency and safety.
The FAA has acknowledged that in recent years more flights have been departing Hollywood Burbank Airport and turning farther south over Studio City and Sherman Oaks, but the agency said the NextGen system that was implemented in 2017 was not to blame. The FAA officials said the new satellite navigation points are too far from the airport to influence the direction of the takeoffs.


latimes--2020-09-01--Zoom overload, COVID-19 hardship: Thousands of kindergartners are no-shows at local schools

Kindergarten enrollment is down sharply in Los Angeles public schools and elsewhere , signaling that many parents of the state ’ s youngest students face heavy burdens with online learning and may be opting out of traditional public schools or moving out of L.A. amid the coronavirus crisis .
The drop of 6,000 kindergarten students in the nation ’ s second-largest school district represents a 14 % decline since last year .
When combined with anecdotal reports of inconsistent kindergarten attendance in live online classes , some virtual classrooms appear to be at about 50 % to 75 % capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts have expressed particular concern over 4- , 5- and 6-year-old students , who are missing out on critical socialization skills with other children , may be struggling to form important bonds with teachers and lack the developmental stamina to stay engaged for extended periods of computer learning .
Educators worry that the most disadvantaged children will be left further behind .
“ If these families are disproportionately losing access to kindergarten , then it is likely that there will be downstream impacts on their learning when they have to catch up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantages and had that opportunity for formal learning in kindergarten , ” said Anna Markowitz , an assistant professor of education at UCLA .
It ’ s too early for a precise picture of why kindergarten enrollment has dropped so dramatically .
But L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner said there ’ s a correlation in L.A. Unified between enrollment decline and communities already hard hit by coronavirus illness and economic hardship .
The L.A. Unified student population is 80 % Latino , with nearly the same percentage of children in need of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest drops in kindergarten enrollment are generally in neighborhoods with the lowest household incomes , ” Beutner said during a pre-recorded Monday online briefing .
“ We suspect some of this is because families may lack the ability to provide full-time support at home for online learning , which is necessary for very young learners.
” Isabel Lopez — mother to a toddler , a first-grader , a fifth-grader and an eighth-grader — spends the entire school day guiding children through classes from her home in downtown L.A. First-grader Rosie sometimes breaks down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she can ’ t tell if her teacher sees when she raises her hand to answer a question .
Alyssa McGregor , the mother of seven children , six in school , said it ’ s been especially challenging keeping her twin girls , in transitional kindergarten , focused .
Transitional kindergarten serves 4-year-olds who turn 5 during the fall semester .
McGregor , who lives in South LA , said the girls need help using their tablets and she often finds them wandering around , hoping to see what their siblings are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell them : ‘ Stay out of your sisters ’ class , ’ ” said McGregor , who also has to manage a 5-month-old .
“ If they were in the classroom setting , I think it would be a lot different.
” Under state law , parents do not have to enroll their children in kindergarten .
Starting in first grade , however , schooling is mandatory , although parents are allowed to homeschool their children .
Katie Pace , a parent leader at Gardner Elementary in Hollywood , said early tallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , despite a well-regarded principal and a stable , veteran staff .
“ Everyone just left the city mostly ” for economic reasons , Pace said of the departures she knew about .
Other parents seem to be opting out .
One said he moved his daughter — who is starting first grade — from an L.A. Unified school on the Westside to a private school in the expectation that it would reopen sooner .
The parent asked that his name not be used out of respect for his daughter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said her enrollment drop is related to serving a low-income minority community slammed by COVID-19 .
“ It doesn ’ t surprise me that parents are unwilling to take the risk of putting a 5-year-old on a campus and also are not comfortable with a 5-year-old sitting in front of a computer for a half or a full day , ” said the principal , who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak .
“ Honestly , I probably wouldn ’ t enroll my children in kindergarten right now , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to work , I would look at private options.
” She added that L.A. Unified is treating kindergartners too much like 12th-graders in terms of time spent online .
In addition to the drop in kindergarten , some principals are reporting declines in enrollment — and in meaningful student participation — in transitional kindergarten and first grade .
“ The average class size is approximately 12 to 15 students per grade level , ” said Juan Flecha , president of the union that represents principals , who based his estimate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think parents are finding it extraordinarily difficult to manage their personal and professional lives while somehow keeping the tykes engaged on a device.
” Some parents have formed learning co-ops with other families , sometimes pooling money to hire a private teacher .
The issue of vanished students is far from unique to L.A. Unified .
Las Virgenes Unified Supt .
Dan Stepenosky said his school district is down 490 students — including about 100 kindergartners — to an enrollment of 10,329 .
The drop was 230 greater than projections for the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. and Ventura counties and serves an enrollment that is more prosperous on average than that of L.A. Unified .
“ We ’ re hearing that lots of preschools added kinder so the families are staying there , ” Stepenosky said .
“ We ’ re also hearing about a lot of ‘ camps ’ that are mostly like classroom instruction .
I also think we have had families move .
Some moved because of the Woolsey fire — we still have 400 homes that have not been replaced .
People are tired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hopeful that families put off by excessive “ Zoom time ” will return once campuses reopen , an optimism shared by Burbank Supt .
Matt Hill , where kindergarten enrollment also is down .
In Pomona , where about 9 in 10 students are part of low-income households , some families are moving east to reduce their living costs , even while holding on to poverty-wage jobs in Los Angeles that are now more difficult to get to .
“ But now , instead of driving from Pomona , they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the road , ” said district spokesman Oliver Unaka .
Audrey Smith , a teacher at Gonsalves Elementary in ABC Unified , said her southeast L.A. County school is down to two kindergarten classrooms from three .
And her transitional kindergarten class , normally full , is down four students .
High housing costs in Cerritos are largely the reason for the school ’ s ongoing enrollment decline , but online learning has exacerbated the trend .
Some parents question the worth of online education versus “ what you ’ d find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , playing with blocks , learning how to take turns and sharing and making friends , ” Smith said .
In L.A. Unified , overall enrollment has been trending downward for years and the drop across all grades is not far from projections .
This year ’ s pre-COVID predicted enrollment was 463,539 .
The current number is 461,105 — and that figure could rise before the district ’ s official “ census ” day , about five weeks into the year .
But the 6,000-student drop in kindergarten was three times as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released some enrollment figures Monday after The Times repeatedly requested them — and the district repeatedly refused to supply them , suggesting that the newspaper wait until the district officially compiled data later in the year .
For the moment it ’ s difficult to track meaningful student attendance and engagement from the outside because L.A. Unified has taken full advantage of the state ’ s liberal attendance guidelines .
Students are to be counted as present for a day of school no matter how minimal the contact between a teacher and student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day that attendance is taken .
McGregor , the mother of the 4-year-old twins , doesn ’ t fault the school for the challenges she faces keeping small children online and on task .
Unlike many parents , she hasn ’ t opted out , moved out or given up , but there are limits .
“ I don ’ t plan to take them out unless they say this is going to be a lifestyle forever , ” she said .
“ Then , yeah , I would take them @ @ @

Howard Blume, Paloma Esquivel, Andrew J. Campa

In a file photo, kindergarten teacher Adriana Rosas is shown with her students, who are having fun and learning at Aloha Health Medical Academy in Lakewood. Her school district, ABC Unified, is dealing with enrollment loss that may be related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kindergarten enrollment is down sharply in Los Angeles public schools and elsewhere, signaling that many parents of the state’s youngest students face heavy burdens with online learning and may be opting out of traditional public schools or moving out of L.A. amid the coronavirus crisis.
The drop of 6,000 kindergarten students in the nation’s second-largest school district represents a 14% decline since last year. When combined with anecdotal reports of inconsistent kindergarten attendance in live online classes, some virtual classrooms appear to be at about 50% to 75% capacity.
Since campuses shut in mid-March, experts have expressed particular concern over 4-, 5- and 6-year-old students, who are missing out on critical socialization skills with other children, may be struggling to form important bonds with teachers and lack the developmental stamina to stay engaged for extended periods of computer learning.
Advertisement
Educators worry that the most disadvantaged children will be left further behind.
“If these families are disproportionately losing access to kindergarten, then it is likely that there will be downstream impacts on their learning when they have to catch up to children who both began school with greater advantages and had that opportunity for formal learning in kindergarten,” said Anna Markowitz, an assistant professor of education at UCLA.
It’s too early for a precise picture of why kindergarten enrollment has dropped so dramatically. But L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner said there’s a correlation in L.A. Unified between enrollment decline and communities already hard hit by coronavirus illness and economic hardship. The L.A. Unified student population is 80% Latino, with nearly the same percentage of children in need of free or reduced-price meals.
“The biggest drops in kindergarten enrollment are generally in neighborhoods with the lowest household incomes,” Beutner said during a pre-recorded Monday online briefing. “We suspect some of this is because families may lack the ability to provide full-time support at home for online learning, which is necessary for very young learners.”
Parents’ struggles can become intense.
Isabel Lopez — mother to a toddler, a first-grader, a fifth-grader and an eighth-grader — spends the entire school day guiding children through classes from her home in downtown L.A.
First-grader Rosie sometimes breaks down in tears. She gets frustrated when she can’t tell if her teacher sees when she raises her hand to answer a question.
Alyssa McGregor, the mother of seven children, six in school, said it’s been especially challenging keeping her twin girls, in transitional kindergarten, focused. Transitional kindergarten serves 4-year-olds who turn 5 during the fall semester.
Advertisement
McGregor, who lives in South LA, said the girls need help using their tablets and she often finds them wandering around, hoping to see what their siblings are doing.
“I have to constantly tell them: ‘Stay out of your sisters’ class,’” said McGregor, who also has to manage a 5-month-old. “If they were in the classroom setting, I think it would be a lot different.”
Under state law, parents do not have to enroll their children in kindergarten. Starting in first grade, however, schooling is mandatory, although parents are allowed to homeschool their children.
Katie Pace, a parent leader at Gardner Elementary in Hollywood, said early tallies put attendance down 10% to 15%, despite a well-regarded principal and a stable, veteran staff.
“Everyone just left the city mostly” for economic reasons, Pace said of the departures she knew about.
Other parents seem to be opting out.
One said he moved his daughter — who is starting first grade — from an L.A. Unified school on the Westside to a private school in the expectation that it would reopen sooner. The parent asked that his name not be used out of respect for his daughter’s privacy.
A principal in southwest L.A. said her enrollment drop is related to serving a low-income minority community slammed by COVID-19.
“It doesn’t surprise me that parents are unwilling to take the risk of putting a 5-year-old on a campus and also are not comfortable with a 5-year-old sitting in front of a computer for a half or a full day,” said the principal, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak.
“Honestly, I probably wouldn’t enroll my children in kindergarten right now,” she said. “Or, if I had to work, I would look at private options.” She added that L.A. Unified is treating kindergartners too much like 12th-graders in terms of time spent online.
In addition to the drop in kindergarten, some principals are reporting declines in enrollment — and in meaningful student participation — in transitional kindergarten and first grade.
“The average class size is approximately 12 to 15 students per grade level,” said Juan Flecha, president of the union that represents principals, who based his estimate on feedback from his members. “I think parents are finding it extraordinarily difficult to manage their personal and professional lives while somehow keeping the tykes engaged on a device.”
Some parents have formed learning co-ops with other families, sometimes pooling money to hire a private teacher.
The issue of vanished students is far from unique to L.A. Unified.
Las Virgenes Unified Supt. Dan Stepenosky said his school district is down 490 students — including about 100 kindergartners — to an enrollment of 10,329. The drop was 230 greater than projections for the school system, which straddles the border of L.A. and Ventura counties and serves an enrollment that is more prosperous on average than that of L.A. Unified.
“We’re hearing that lots of preschools added kinder so the families are staying there,” Stepenosky said. “We’re also hearing about a lot of ‘camps’ that are mostly like classroom instruction. I also think we have had families move. Some moved because of the Woolsey fire — we still have 400 homes that have not been replaced. People are tired of California.”
He said he’s hopeful that families put off by excessive “Zoom time” will return once campuses reopen, an optimism shared by Burbank Supt. Matt Hill, where kindergarten enrollment also is down.
In Pomona, where about 9 in 10 students are part of low-income households, some families are moving east to reduce their living costs, even while holding on to poverty-wage jobs in Los Angeles that are now more difficult to get to.
“But now, instead of driving from Pomona, they’re driving from Ontario or Fontana or further down the road,” said district spokesman Oliver Unaka.
Audrey Smith, a teacher at Gonsalves Elementary in ABC Unified, said her southeast L.A. County school is down to two kindergarten classrooms from three. And her transitional kindergarten class, normally full, is down four students. High housing costs in Cerritos are largely the reason for the school’s ongoing enrollment decline, but online learning has exacerbated the trend.
Some parents question the worth of online education versus “what you’d find in a classroom where children are socializing, playing with blocks, learning how to take turns and sharing and making friends,” Smith said.
In L.A. Unified, overall enrollment has been trending downward for years and the drop across all grades is not far from projections. This year’s pre-COVID predicted enrollment was 463,539. The current number is 461,105 — and that figure could rise before the district’s official “census” day, about five weeks into the year.
But the 6,000-student drop in kindergarten was three times as large as projected.
L.A. Unified publicly released some enrollment figures Monday after The Times repeatedly requested them — and the district repeatedly refused to supply them, suggesting that the newspaper wait until the district officially compiled data later in the year.
For the moment it’s difficult to track meaningful student attendance and engagement from the outside because L.A. Unified has taken full advantage of the state’s liberal attendance guidelines. Students are to be counted as present for a day of school no matter how minimal the contact between a teacher and student — as long as that interaction occurs on the day that attendance is taken.
McGregor, the mother of the 4-year-old twins, doesn’t fault the school for the challenges she faces keeping small children online and on task. Unlike many parents, she hasn’t opted out, moved out or given up, but there are limits.
“I don’t plan to take them out unless they say this is going to be a lifestyle forever,” she said. “Then, yeah, I would take them out.”
Times staff writer Julia Barajas contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-31--Fatal shooting of Black man by L.A. County sheriff's deputies sparks protests and questions

Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies on Monday shot and killed a Black man , drawing protesters to the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont where he died .
The shooting victim was Dijon Kizzee , 29 , according to the Los Angeles County coroner ’ s office .
Coroner ’ s spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said an examination was scheduled for Tuesday .
According to authorities , Kizzee struck a deputy in the face in the incident Monday afternoon , dropping a handgun in the process and prompting the deputy and his partner to open fire .
Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that two deputies from the South Los Angeles station were driving on Budlong Avenue at 3:15 p.m. when they spotted a man riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes .
Dean said he didn ’ t know which vehicle codes the man allegedly broke .
When the deputies attempted to contact the man , he dropped the bicycle and ran north on Budlong for one block with deputies in pursuit , Dean said .
In the 1200 block of West 109th Place , deputies again tried to make contact with the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the face , Dean said .
In doing so , the man dropped a bundle of clothing he had been carrying .
The deputies spotted a black handgun in the bundle , Dean said , and both opened fire , killing the man .
No deputies were injured .
Dean said he did not know how many times the man was shot but that reports that he had been hit more than 20 times were inaccurate .
Gerardo De La Torre , 18 , was playing video games in his bedroom on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunshots , followed by screams .
He went outside and saw a group of people confronting sheriff ’ s deputies .
Within five minutes , he said , 12 squad cars had pulled up to the intersection , sirens blaring , where a man lay dead .
De La Torre was reminded of a shooting just three months earlier : A Latino man had come down his street , a gun in his hand , and was standing in front of his family ’ s home when sheriff ’ s deputies shot him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Department said at the time that the man had pointed the handgun at officers .
There are still two bullet holes in the wooden fence outside his home .
“ I don ’ t really like what ’ s been going on here , ” he said .
He added that he planned to move in two weeks to join his brother in San Francisco .
When Arlander Givens , 68 , saw the cruisers streaming by his home on West 109th Place , he knew by the number of cars that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Givens has watched with alarm as Black men have died at the hands of the police in Minnesota , Wisconsin — and , now , on his block .
“ It ’ s like it ’ s open season , ” he said .
Givens questioned why the deputies opened fire if , as a sheriff ’ s official has said , the man wasn ’ t holding a weapon .
“ If he reached down to grab it , that ’ s different , ” Givens said .
“ But if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why shoot ?
That means he was unarmed.
” When his wife goes to the store , Givens tells her to be careful .
“ We aren ’ t talking about some gang member , ” he said .
“ We ’ re talking about the police .
And that ’ s bad .
I ’ ve got nothing to hide , I ’ ve got no reason to run , but when I see the police over my shoulder , I worry.
” In the hours after the shooting , a crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , others drawn by an “ all hands on deck ” tweet issued by the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter — faced off with deputies maintaining a perimeter at the scene .
As afternoon turned to night , the standoff grew tense .
Many in the crowd angrily demanded to know why the man ’ s body remained in the street for hours .
Dean , the sheriff ’ s lieutenant , told reporters the body hadn ’ t been removed because coroner ’ s investigators were still at the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies and many other witnesses , Dean said on Monday .
They have not reviewed surveillance video or cellphone videos that may have captured the shooting .
“ Give us time to conduct our investigation , ” he said .
“ We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them.
” Neither deputy was wearing a body camera , according to Dean .
Unlike the Los Angeles Police Department , the Sheriff ’ s Department has yet to equip its officers with body cameras .
The department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it planned to begin distributing the cameras to deputies first at the Century Station in Lynwood , with other stations and bureaus receiving the technology over the next two years .
Deputies assigned to Century Station will be equipped with the cameras by October , the department said .

A sheriff’s deputy at the scene on the night of the shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said Kizzee had fled officers and struck one of them during a pursuit. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A resident looks on as protesters gather on Budlong Avenue hours after the Aug. 31 shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Family and friends of Dijon Kizzee stand near the site of the shooting on Aug. 31. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
On Aug. 31, residents confront L.A. County sheriff’s deputies after the Kizzee shooting in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters gather Saturday in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
People look out their window as a crowd walks past Saturday to honor Dijon Kizzee along West Imperial Highway in Los Angeles. (Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times)
People block northbound Interstate 110 on Saturday during a protest of the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee in Los Angeles. (Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters gather Saturday in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
The family of Dijon Kizzee gathers Saturday with protesters in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Lucha Bright, left, of Revolution Club LA, caravans Tuesday with other members throughout a South Los Angeles neighborhood protesting the shooting of Dijon Kizzee. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Rima Williams, cousin of Dijon Kizzee, on Tuesday places a lighted candle at the memorial where Kizzee was shot along the 1300 block of West 109th Place in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies watch a crowd that gathered Tuesday near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
A few people were taken into custody Tuesday after the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department declared an unlawful assembly and moved toward a crowd that gathered near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Demonstrators gather Tuesday near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles, where Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies declared an unlawful assembly. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on Monday shot and killed a Black man, drawing protesters to the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont where he died.
The shooting victim was Dijon Kizzee, 29, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Coroner’s spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said an examination was scheduled for Tuesday.
According to authorities, Kizzee struck a deputy in the face in the incident Monday afternoon, dropping a handgun in the process and prompting the deputy and his partner to open fire.
Advertisement
Sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Dean said Monday evening that two deputies from the South Los Angeles station were driving on Budlong Avenue at 3:15 p.m. when they spotted a man riding his bicycle in violation of vehicle codes. Dean said he didn’t know which vehicle codes the man allegedly broke.
When the deputies attempted to contact the man, he dropped the bicycle and ran north on Budlong for one block with deputies in pursuit, Dean said. In the 1200 block of West 109th Place, deputies again tried to make contact with the man, and he punched one of them in the face, Dean said.
In doing so, the man dropped a bundle of clothing he had been carrying. The deputies spotted a black handgun in the bundle, Dean said, and both opened fire, killing the man. No deputies were injured.
Dean said he did not know how many times the man was shot but that reports that he had been hit more than 20 times were inaccurate.
Protesters demonstrate at the South L.A. Sheriff’s Station hours after a Black man was fatally shot by deputies. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Gerardo De La Torre, 18, was playing video games in his bedroom on West 109th Place when he heard 10 gunshots, followed by screams. He went outside and saw a group of people confronting sheriff’s deputies. Within five minutes, he said, 12 squad cars had pulled up to the intersection, sirens blaring, where a man lay dead.
Advertisement
De La Torre was reminded of a shooting just three months earlier: A Latino man had come down his street, a gun in his hand, and was standing in front of his family’s home when sheriff’s deputies shot him, he said. The Sheriff’s Department said at the time that the man had pointed the handgun at officers.
There are still two bullet holes in the wooden fence outside his home.
“I don’t really like what’s been going on here,” he said. He added that he planned to move in two weeks to join his brother in San Francisco.
When Arlander Givens, 68, saw the cruisers streaming by his home on West 109th Place, he knew by the number of cars that someone had been shot by law enforcement.
Givens has watched with alarm as Black men have died at the hands of the police in Minnesota, Wisconsin — and, now, on his block.
“It’s like it’s open season,” he said.
Givens questioned why the deputies opened fire if, as a sheriff’s official has said, the man wasn’t holding a weapon.
“If he reached down to grab it, that’s different,” Givens said. “But if it’s on the ground, why shoot? That means he was unarmed.”
When his wife goes to the store, Givens tells her to be careful.
“We aren’t talking about some gang member,” he said. “We’re talking about the police. And that’s bad. I’ve got nothing to hide, I’ve got no reason to run, but when I see the police over my shoulder, I worry.”
In the hours after the shooting, a crowd of protesters — some from the neighborhood, others drawn by an “all hands on deck” tweet issued by the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter — faced off with deputies maintaining a perimeter at the scene.
As afternoon turned to night, the standoff grew tense. Many in the crowd angrily demanded to know why the man’s body remained in the street for hours. Dean, the sheriff’s lieutenant, told reporters the body hadn’t been removed because coroner’s investigators were still at the scene.
Investigators have yet to interview the deputies and many other witnesses, Dean said on Monday. They have not reviewed surveillance video or cellphone videos that may have captured the shooting.
“Give us time to conduct our investigation,” he said. “We will get all of the facts of this case and eventually present them.”
Neither deputy was wearing a body camera, according to Dean. Unlike the Los Angeles Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department has yet to equip its officers with body cameras. The department’s leadership said earlier this summer that it planned to begin distributing the cameras to deputies first at the Century Station in Lynwood, with other stations and bureaus receiving the technology over the next two years.
Deputies assigned to Century Station will be equipped with the cameras by October, the department said.


latimes--2020-09-02--L.A. is about to declare a fiscal emergency. That could mean pay cuts for city workers

Two months ago , the Los Angeles City Council hatched a plan for weathering its latest financial crisis : Give thousands of city employees up to $ 80,000 to retire , and hope the savings would be enough to avoid pay cuts for other city workers .
Now , with the budget outlook still grim , and interest in employee buyouts falling shy of initial hopes , the city ’ s elected leaders have decided to pursue both strategies : paying workers to leave their jobs , while reducing salaries 10 % for many who remain .
The council is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an estimated 1,277 employees and clear the way for more than 15,000 workers to begin furloughs , or one unpaid day off every two weeks .
To carry out the furloughs , the council must approve a declaration of fiscal emergency establishing that the city has sustained a major hit to its sales taxes , hotel taxes and other revenue .
That type of declaration is L.A. 's first since 2012 , when the city was clawing its way out of the last recession .
The city ’ s negotiating committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four council members , recommended the cost-cutting measures last week .
Councilman Paul Krekorian , who sits on that panel , said the emergency declaration will allow the city to act immediately on “ urgently necessary ” reductions , including furloughs .
Councilman Bob Blumenfield is also leaning toward approving the cuts .
Both furloughs and buyouts will be “ terrible ” for the city , he said , pushing out experienced workers and making it more difficult to provide services to the public .
“ But we can ’ t spend money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ We have to figure out how to maintain our city and our finances during these horrible , dark times.
” The furloughs , which are scheduled to go into effect Oct. 11 , won ’ t apply to police officers , firefighters , nurses , sanitation workers , librarians or employees at the Department of Building and Safety , which processes permits for new construction projects .
Even with those workers excluded , furloughs are expected to save more than $ 100 million between October and June .
Josh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Attorneys Assn.
, said the city lacks the legal authority to unilaterally impose a reduction in pay and hours for his union ’ s roughly 500 members .
Such changes in pay must be negotiated , he said .
“ We ’ re in a closed contract that does not allow for furloughs , ” said Geller , whose union sued the city over furloughs a decade ago and ultimately reached a settlement .
Bob Schoonover , president of Service Employees International Union Local 721 , called the furloughs “ illegal ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of a pandemic .
“ The last thing L.A. city needs is more working families struggling to keep a roof over their heads or food on their table , ” he said .
Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said the crisis created by COVID-19 has simultaneously increased the city ’ s costs and reduced the taxes needed to pay for public services .
As a result , he said , the city is facing its worst year since the depths of the 2008 financial crisis .
“ The mayor will continue working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but furloughs may be necessary to balance the budget given COVID-related revenue loss , ” Comisar said .
Geller and Schoonover have argued that the city would see significant savings from buyouts and say they want to negotiate a better alternative .
City budget analysts , on the other hand , contend that the buyout program has fallen well short of its initial promise .
When council members backed the buyout initiative in June , they had hoped that as many as 2,850 employees — roughly 8 % of the workforce — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 56 million in savings in the program ’ s first year .
Instead , only 1,277 workers applied , below the minimum number set by the council for moving forward .
Krekorian , who heads the council ’ s budget committee , said the city ’ s financial analysts now believe the buyouts will save just $ 13 million this fiscal year .
He still favors the initiative , calling it “ one small step of many ” for cutting costs .
Meanwhile , critics have warned that the buyouts could pose additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a delayed balloon payment .
Under the city ’ s plan , retiring workers would receive $ 10,000 this budget year to leave , followed by another , much larger payment — as much as $ 70,000 — in 2021-22 .
If the city ’ s finances get worse , those payments could become a significant burden .

Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield, pictured in 2015, said furloughs and buyouts will be “terrible” for the city. But he’s leaning toward approving them.
Two months ago, the Los Angeles City Council hatched a plan for weathering its latest financial crisis: Give thousands of city employees up to $80,000 to retire, and hope the savings would be enough to avoid pay cuts for other city workers.
Now, with the budget outlook still grim, and interest in employee buyouts falling shy of initial hopes, the city’s elected leaders have decided to pursue both strategies: paying workers to leave their jobs, while reducing salaries 10% for many who remain.
The council is scheduled to vote Wednesday to give buyouts to an estimated 1,277 employees and clear the way for more than 15,000 workers to begin furloughs, or one unpaid day off every two weeks.
Advertisement
To carry out the furloughs, the council must approve a declaration of fiscal emergency establishing that the city has sustained a major hit to its sales taxes, hotel taxes and other revenue. That type of declaration is L.A.’s first since 2012, when the city was clawing its way out of the last recession.
The city’s negotiating committee, made up of Mayor Eric Garcetti and four council members, recommended the cost-cutting measures last week. Councilman Paul Krekorian, who sits on that panel, said the emergency declaration will allow the city to act immediately on “urgently necessary” reductions, including furloughs.
Councilman Bob Blumenfield is also leaning toward approving the cuts. Both furloughs and buyouts will be “terrible” for the city, he said, pushing out experienced workers and making it more difficult to provide services to the public.
“But we can’t spend money we don’t have,” he said. “We have to figure out how to maintain our city and our finances during these horrible, dark times.”
The furloughs, which are scheduled to go into effect Oct. 11, won’t apply to police officers, firefighters, nurses, sanitation workers, librarians or employees at the Department of Building and Safety, which processes permits for new construction projects. Even with those workers excluded, furloughs are expected to save more than $100 million between October and June.
Josh Geller, president of the Los Angeles City Attorneys Assn., said the city lacks the legal authority to unilaterally impose a reduction in pay and hours for his union’s roughly 500 members. Such changes in pay must be negotiated, he said.
“We’re in a closed contract that does not allow for furloughs,” said Geller, whose union sued the city over furloughs a decade ago and ultimately reached a settlement.
Advertisement
Bob Schoonover, president of Service Employees International Union Local 721, called the furloughs “illegal” under existing salary agreements and irresponsible in the middle of a pandemic. “The last thing L.A. city needs is more working families struggling to keep a roof over their heads or food on their table,” he said.
Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said the crisis created by COVID-19 has simultaneously increased the city’s costs and reduced the taxes needed to pay for public services. As a result, he said, the city is facing its worst year since the depths of the 2008 financial crisis.
“The mayor will continue working with labor to find alternative cost savings, but furloughs may be necessary to balance the budget given COVID-related revenue loss,” Comisar said.
Geller and Schoonover have argued that the city would see significant savings from buyouts and say they want to negotiate a better alternative. City budget analysts, on the other hand, contend that the buyout program has fallen well short of its initial promise.
When council members backed the buyout initiative in June, they had hoped that as many as 2,850 employees — roughly 8% of the workforce — would take part, producing around $56 million in savings in the program’s first year. Instead, only 1,277 workers applied, below the minimum number set by the council for moving forward.
Krekorian, who heads the council’s budget committee, said the city’s financial analysts now believe the buyouts will save just $13 million this fiscal year. He still favors the initiative, calling it “one small step of many” for cutting costs.
Meanwhile, critics have warned that the buyouts could pose additional financial risk, since they come with a delayed balloon payment.
Under the city’s plan, retiring workers would receive $10,000 this budget year to leave, followed by another, much larger payment — as much as $70,000 — in 2021-22.
If the city’s finances get worse, those payments could become a significant burden.