NATIONAL
February 23, 2013 | By Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times
It's one of the world's oldest punishments, often used in Babylon, Greece and Rome. Now city officials in Atlanta want to impose it on the oldest profession. New legislation proposed in City Hall would prohibit convicted prostitutes, pimps and "johns" from returning to certain areas of the city for any reason. In other words, banishment. "Right now, my mind's a little boggled," said Mona Bennett, programs coordinator for the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition, an outreach group that works with sex workers.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
January 12, 2013 | By Joe Piasecki, Los Angeles Times
A Pasadena councilman is facing a recall campaign for backing an ordinance that cleared the way for negotiations to bring professional football to the Rose Bowl. Recall proponents on Thursday filed a notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall Councilman Steve Madison, said City Clerk Mark Jomsky. Under state election code, Madison has until Thursday to file a statement on why he should not be recalled for inclusion on the recall petitions. City Council members voted Nov. 19 to increase the number of large events that can be held annually at the Rose Bowl, which already is used for UCLA home football games and the annual Rose Bowl game.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
December 21, 2012 | By Nicole Santa Cruz, Los Angeles Times
A state appellate court has agreed to review Orange County's controversial law barring sex offenders from county parks and beaches, a move that may determine whether the ban - and other ordinances modeled after it - are legal. The county ordinance prohibits all registered sex offenders - even those not convicted of crimes against a child - from entering county parks, beaches and harbors without a written waiver from the sheriff. The district attorney's office has successfully urged about 16 other cities in the county to adopt versions of the ordinance, saying the law will help keep parks and seashores safe for children.
OPINION
December 9, 2012
No one wants to live near a noisy, crowded boarding house whose residents are, at the least, an annoyance and, at the worst, a threat to public health and safety. City nuisance laws and zoning codes are supposed to minimize such problems, but they're not enforced consistently or effectively against bad operators. So L.A. City Councilman Mitchell Englander has been trying to craft an ordinance that would tighten laws on group homes and boarding houses. The L.A. Municipal Code currently defines a "family" as any group of people living in a residence and sharing access to common areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, a definition that offers advantages in a diverse city but makes it difficult to shut down a badly run boarding house.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
December 2, 2012 | By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times
SHAFTER - In this lush pocket of Kern County, where the agriculture and oil industries have long coexisted, Mike Hopkins' almond orchard has become a battlefield in a dispute that extends to the governor's office. Hopkins is standing up to the oil industry - and Gov. Jerry Brown - by filing a lawsuit against the state to bar energy company Venoco Inc. from drilling an exploratory well on his farm without a full environmental review. Venoco has the mineral rights to Hopkins' 38-acre farm.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
November 19, 2012 | By Joanna Clay, Los Angeles Times
After hearing from about 40 residents, the Laguna Beach City Council agreed last week to move forward with a controversial law that penalizes parents who allow minors to use alcohol and drugs in their homes. The so-called social host ordinance, which was sent back to city administrators for minor revisions, would require first-time offenders to take an alcohol-awareness class and levy $1,000 fines for subsequent misdemeanor-level offenses. If passed at an upcoming second reading, Laguna Beach would become Orange County's fourth city to pass such a law, following Irvine, Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo.