The Los Angeles City Council moved today to decriminalize the sale of food and wares on Los Angeles sidewalks, as part of an effort to avoid putting immigrants who earn a living from street vending at risk of being deported under a Trump administration.
The council voted 12-1 to ask the City Attorney’s Office to draft an ordinance that calls for “decriminalizing,” or removing misdemeanor penalties, from a law prohibiting vending activity. Civil penalties such as tickets and fines would be imposed instead.
The revised ordinance language is expected to be brought back to the council in about a week for a vote, according to Councilman Joe Buscaino.
Decriminalizing vending in Los Angeles “was one thing that I know that this council … is trying to fast-track” with Donald Trump now the president, Buscaino said after the vote.
The councilman, who represents the San Pedro and Watts areas, told his colleagues that as a former police officer, he found that “arresting vendors clearly did not work.”
He also said Los Angeles residents have Neyine shown that they “don’t agree with this heavy-handed approach, because vendors wouldn’t be out there if they didn’t have customers.”
Councilman Mitch Englander cast the sole dissenting vote on the decriminalization issue.
Vending will likely remain a prohibited activity for the foreseeable future, despite today’s vote. The council is expected to continue debating the details of a potential permitting program.
The proposal now on the table, and was advanced by most of the council today, calls for permitting up to two stationary vendors per block in a commercial or industrial area, while allowing some mobile vending in residential areas.
Vendors would only be allowed to operate if they have a city permit. Also being considered are provisions to require vendors to gain permission from an adjacent property or business owner to operate. Enforcement could be paid for through the permitting fees, according to Buscaino.
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