LA Council Proposes Noncitizen Voting

0:00On April 30th, a Los Angeles City Council member named Hugo Soto Martinez just dropped a bold proposal to let non-citizens vote in local elections for. Mayor, City Council, and the Board of Education, his plan would ask voters on November 3rd to give the council power to make that happen. Soto Martinez comes from immigrant roots himself, with parents who crossed from Mexico and built lives here. Earlier this week, he teamed up with another council member, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America to push this forward. It heads to the rules committee next, but faces big steps, council approval to get on the ballot, a yes from voters, and then a new city law. Soto Martinez is up for re-election in the June 2nd primary, with the top two heading to November. Folks are fired up on both sides. Some candidates running for office back in, saying as city leaders, they shield immigrant voters from federal pushback. Folks argue a cheapened citizenship, and turns voting into just another perk for newcomers,

1:00while one rival warns it could create a risky list. Exposing undocumented folks during immigration crackdowns. A few small California spots already allow non-citizens to vote in super-limited local races, and if Los Angeles pulls this off, it'd be the biggest. City in the country, doing it. Meanwhile, a statewide push for voter ID checks is hitting the November ballot, pulling the debate in the opposite direction as these local fights. Heat up. I'm Corey with the story. That's your US news today update AI-powered and always on.