Desperate Times Make for Desperate Measures
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Only two days after California voters passed Proposition 8 to prohibit same-sex marriage, three appeals to the state supreme court have been filed, pitting the rights of gays and lesbians against the will of the voters. We hear about legal efforts to make same-sex marriage illegal again. Also, increased taxes and spending cuts on the California horizon, and Proposition 11 may survive with a razor-thin margin. We hear how reformers plan to build on non-partisan legislative reapportionment.
Making News
The Budget Gap Yawns Again ()
California's budget shortfall could rise to $24 billion 18 months from now. Governor Schwarzenegger has called a special legislative session to head that off with what he calls "drastic measures." They include cuts to schools and reductions of vital services, and significant increases in taxes. Evan Halper reports from Sacramento for the Los Angeles Times.
Guests:
- Evan Halper: Reporter, Los Angeles Times, @evanhalper
Main Topic
Gay Rights, Voters' Will ()
The state constitution promises equal protection to all Californians. Last summer, the State Supreme Court ruled that means same-sex couples can legally marry. On Tuesday, the voters passed Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage by amending the constitution—or did it? Yesterday, three separate lawsuits were filed, contending that Prop 8 was not an amendment at all but an illegal revision.
Guests:
- Jennifer Pizer: Senior Legal Counsel, Lambda Legal
- Andrew Pugno: General Counsel, Yes on 8
- David McCuan: Professor of Political Science, Sonoma State University
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Reporter's Notebook
Government Reform Begins with the Lines on a Map ()
By gerrymandering their own district boundaries, Democrats and Republicans in the Assembly and Senate have guaranteed that legislative seats almost never change from parties. Proposition 11 would give the job to a bi-partisan citizens' commission. This is the first step toward real reform of state government, but it's still not clear if it passed. Jim Mayer is executive director of California Forward, a bipartisan group promoting reform.
Guests:
- Jim Mayer: Executive Director, California Forward
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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