New Ballot Measure In Los Angeles Could Ruin Host Plans For 2028 Olympics

Preparing to host the 2028 Olympics, Los Angeles is facing a proposed ballot measure that would force a citywide vote to approve building plans for the Games.

The measure would cause at least five venues to be voted on before approval, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The proposal comes as one response to a business group that is seeking to overturn the City Council’s May approval of bringing the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 per hour in 2028, the Times reported.

The measure was introduced by Unite Here Local 11, an organization that represents hotel and restaurant workers.

In June, the organization filed paperwork for a ballot measure to require voters to approve of the development or expansion of major event centers. This measure includes temporary and permanent facilities.

This marks another challenge for the city as it prepares to host the games. Other difficulties include difficulty in securing sponsors and the search for shuttle buses.

This new proposal only applies to venues outside the city limits which, if the venues are not approved, Los Angeles would be forced to host an Olympic game where only a handful of the venues are inside the city.

Eric Sheehan, a spokesperson for NOlympics, an organization that stands in opposition to the 2028 Olympics, said from the beginning, voters ought to have been given the chance to decide whether L.A. should host the games.

“What would be stronger would be the chance for Angelenos to vote on whether or not we want the Olympics at all,” he said.