- Making News: Supreme Court Finds Coercive Questioning Constitutional
The US Supreme Court ruled today that police can question unwilling subjects, using any method short of torture without violating the suspects? Constitutional rights. David Savage, who covers the courts for the Los Angeles Times, reviews the history of the case and details of the decision. He also summarizes issues raised by two dissenting justices and assesses the possible impact of the 6-to-3 vote. - Making News (segment #2): LA Board of Supervisors Votes on Newhall Ranch
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has just approved one of the largest subdivisions in LA County history, the Newhall Ranch project with 21,000 homes and a potential 60,000 new residents. Reporter Heather MacDonald has been following the project for the Los Angeles Daily News.
Lobbyists and Sacramento Campaign Money
California?s $35 billion budget gap isn?t the only financial issue on the minds of the state?s 40 Senators and 80 Assembly members. Every year, they set new records money-raising for their own campaigns. In 2002, California led the US in the amount of money spent by lobbyists to influence legislation. In the past 5 months, lawmakers have hosted no less than 153 campaign fundraisers in Sacramento restaurants and hotels, often inviting lobbyists to bring contributions to fundraisers held before crucial votes on legislation. Since the next pubic campaign reports aren?t due until July, it?s not yet clear how much money?s involved, although tickets commonly go for $1000 a piece. We speak candidly with Democratic Assemblyman John Longville and former Assembly Speaker Leo McCarty about the role of money in the legislative process.