Proposition 34, Steve Cooley, and Measure A

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Prop. 34, on next week's statewide ballot, promises political campaign reform. A bipartisan coalition in the legislature offered it to replace Prop. 208 which has been tied up in challenges since voters passed it in 1996. Mike Roos, former Democratic State Assemblyman, says that 34 will achieve many reforms we've seen before that have been overturned by judicial review". Trudy Schafer, of the League of Women Voters, cautions that it's much weaker than 208 which will probably be upheld in court.

Deputy DA Steve Cooley is challenging his boss, two-time incumbent Gil Garcetti in next week's race for District Attorney. But in a three-man primary, Garcetti was forced into a run-off, getting fewer votes than his own deputy. Last week, we talked to Garcetti. Now, we hear from Cooley.

  • Newsmaker: Yesterday LA and the US Department of Justice agreed to history-making outside monitoring of the LAPD. Even before the Rampart scandal, the Clinton administration was threatening to sue based on a "pattern and practice" of civil rights violations. Gerald Chaleff, President of the LA Police Commission and a member of the city's negotiating committee, speaks with us about the reforms that will be supervised by the federal court.
  • Reporter's Notebook: When LA County's Board of Supervisors was established in 1852. While the county has grown but the board has not. Measure A on next week's ballot would increase the board from 5 to 9. Seth Hufstedler, past Chair of the LA County Bar Commission on County Government, says that A provides better representation and will lead to the election of a much-needed county mayor. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky says it will only create a more parochial board and increase delays.

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton