LA city leaders push for ban on cashless businesses

Three city councilmembers Tuesday spoke in support of a proposal to ban cashless businesses in the city, in an attempt to empower residents who may not have bank accounts or who may be denied access to credit.

During a morning news conference outside City Hall, Councilwoman Heather Hutt -- who last year introduced a motion to ban cashless businesses -- said that when businesses do not accept cash, it creates an economy that is "not inclusive and accessible'' to the city's most vulnerable populations.

Hutt's motion is expected to be taken up by the council's Trade, Travel and Tourism committee this summer.

"Especially as we end April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this about our victims of domestic violence who need to use cash for their safety and escape,'' Hutt said. "Electronic forms of payment can track them when trying to flee.''

Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martinez and Eunisses Hernandez joined Hutt to show their support -- as did Alberto Retana, president of the Community Coalition, a racial-justice grassroots organization; and Leslie Belt of the Jenesse Center, a domestic-violence prevention and intervention nonprofit.

"These are everyday people,'' Retana said. "The Black and brown faces, the white and Asian faces, these are all the faces of Los Angeles who carry cash and want to participate in our city's economy. Going cashless is a form of economic suppression, and a form of othering that tells Angelenos they do not belong.''

Belt echoed Hutt's concerns about women and families who don't have access to credit or who lack a bank account.

"When survivors are forced to rely on digital transactions, they leave digital footprints and become easily traceable by abusers who often control their bank accounts,'' Belt said.

If Hutt's proposal is approved by the City Council, Los Angeles would join cities such as San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia, where bans on cashless businesses have been enacted.

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