Politics and Same-Sex Marriage

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The State Legislature's latest approval rating is 15% in the Field Poll, the lowest ever. For two weeks, the Assembly and Senate officially have been in session to fix what could be a $24 billion shortfall. But during Budget Committee hearings in Sacramento, a lot of the chairs are empty. Assembly and Senate members are traveling to Hawaii, India and China.

If the Legislature is unpopular now, consider what happened 22 years ago to the State Supreme Court. Voters recalled three justices, including Chief Justice Rose Bird, for overturning too many death penalties. The current court has accepted three challenges to Proposition 8 which passed in this month's election with 52% of the vote. It's the measure declaring that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. Are they risking their jobs?   

Credits

Guests:

  • Barbara O'Connor - Cal State Sacramento's Institute for the Study of Politics and Media
  • Erwin Chemerinsky - constitutional law professor and dean of UC Berkeley School of Law

Host:

Warren Olney