Watch live: L.A. City Council holds virtual meeting amid racist audio scandal
The Los Angeles City Council is meeting virtually today amid fallout over a leaked audio recording of councilmembers making racist and derogatory remarks during an October 2021 conversation about redistricting.
Acting City Council President Mitch O’Farrell canceled Friday’s meeting after the council was unable to muster the 10-person quorum necessary to proceed. Council President Nury Martinez resigned her seat Wednesday, but calls remain for Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León to also step down. Both have been stripped of their council committee assignments.
Audio of Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo speaking with labor leader Ron Herrera quickly became a new and incendiary issue in the Nov. 8 election.
The council is meeting virtually following a COVID-19 exposure last week in council chambers.
Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Curren Price have publicly expressed interest in replacing Martinez as council president. However, it was unclear whether either had the eight votes to prevail at today’s meeting, when a leadership vote is scheduled.
Today’s meeting will also allow the council to begin exploring a number of reform measures, including the first step toward asking voters to expand the size of the 15-member council and creating an independent redistricting commission.
MORE COVERAGE
Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León stripped of City Council committee posts over racist leak
Martinez’s resignation sets off scramble for mid-San Fernando Valley seat
Racist audio leak has ‘tainted’ L.A.’s redistricting maps. Now some want them scrapped
L.A.’s Black-Latino alliance has always been fragile. Can it survive racist recordings?
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