- Newsmaker: MTA Bus Battle
Five years ago, LA's Metropolitan Transportation Authority willingly signed a federal agreement to avoid a civil rights lawsuit. Four times since then, the MTA has failed to get the courts to rescind the agreement. Today, the MTA Board held a closed-door meeting to consider another appeal. Chairman John Fasana reports that the MTA will continue to improve service while looking into an appeal to the US Supreme Court. - Reporter's Notebook: Padilla Fined for City Council Campaign Spending
Los Angeles has some of the nation's toughest campaign finance laws. The city's new council president, Alex Padilla, is setting a record for violating them. Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies and a leading authority on political reform, maintains that this latest fine, the largest in the ten-year history of the Ethics Commission, demonstrates the efficacy of local spending laws.
LA Metropolitan Transit Authority
California Coastal Conservancy
Center for Governmental Studies