Pushcart vendors _ in LA for decades _ might become legal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — They seem to be everywhere on the streets of Los Angeles — pushcarts and tables filled with everything from hot dogs and tamales to toys and tools.

Such sales are illegal, although the law is rarely enforced.

Now, after a decade of debate and compromise, the Los Angeles City Council will consider an ordinance Wednesday that would grant permits to sidewalk vendors.

If the measure is enacted, it would put the city on the same legal footing as New York and Chicago on the issue.

An estimated 50,000 vendors peddle their wares along Los Angeles sidewalks and in parks and other public places. Many are immigrants who have pushed for years for the change.