Hunter Futo

The delegates from the three civic assemblies on Charter Reform submitted an open letter to City Council last week in advance of their final vote on which recommendations in the final report will appear on voters’ ballots. They urged Councilmembers to make civic assemblies a permanent part of Los Angeles governance, giving everyday residents an opportunity to weigh in on key issues that affect the city. The letter was also published on City Watch LA and Democracy Local. It reads: To the...

Over the past four months, everyday Angelenos have done something unprecedented: shaped the language of the city's foundational governing document through civic assemblies organized by Rewrite LA, Healthy Democracy, and Public Democracy LA. It started last December, when 36 lottery-selected residents spent seven hours deliberating on land use and development — one of the city's most contentious policy areas — and delivered 10 recommendations to the Charter Reform Commission. In January,...