Measure J is Permanent

LOS ANGELES — On Oct. 25 the California Supreme Court denied the Coalition of County Unions’ petition for review of the decision on their court case challenging Measure J. The high court upheld the California Court of Appeals’ decision that Measure J is constitutional and is a permanent amendment to the LA County Charter. The court-affirmed validity of Measure J opens avenues to bolster its implementation. Re-Imagine LA Coalition members share insights about the news below:

Brian Kaneda, (He, Him, His), Deputy Director and L.A. Coordinator, Californians United for a Responsible Budget, shares, “The California Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Measure J sends an unequivocal message: We must reallocate funds to communities that have been historically underserved, and fully implement the Alternatives to Incarceration roadmap. The work to fund Care First strategies continued while Measure J was in legal limbo. Now, this decision by the highest court in the state affirms a vision for public safety shared by more than 2.1 million voters. It is critical that the Board of Supervisors pledges the required funds to bring this vision to life, starting with a baseline of at least $900 million per year.”

Revised and updated additional context about this victory first shared after the July 28 California Court of Appeal filing date:

The voters of Los Angeles County approved Measure J, in 2020. The Measure, as written, dedicates no less than 10% of the county’s locally generated unrestricted funding to address the disproportionate impact of racial injustice through community investments such as youth development, job training, small business development, supportive housing services and alternatives to incarceration. Measure J builds on the LA County Board of Supervisors’ commitment to transform the harm of the justice system and to prioritize care first, jails last by providing more effective and long-lasting services to residents and communities. Re-Imagine Coalition estimates the county owes $2.7B toward community investments under Measure J.

In light of the courts upholding Measure J, the Re-Imagine LA Coalition remains committed as stakeholders actively engaged in the implementation process. We will continue to work to ensure that the Board of Supervisors take deliberate actions to move hundreds of millions more dollars toward community investments necessary to fulfill Measure J’s promise of increased equity and justice.

Read Re-Imagine LA Coalition’s statement, here: https://tinyurl.com/Measure-J-statement