California State Senator (D-Oakland)
Democratic State Senator from Oakland and chair of the Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee
PROFILE
Loni Hancock
Guest
FROM Loni Hancock
Which Way, L.A.?
Governor Brown Says, 'Thanks, but No Thanks' Governor Brown today vetoed the budget passed yesterday by the Democratic majority in Sacramento, issuing an explanation on YouTube. Last year, voters passed Proposition 25 , providing that legislators would not get paid if they failed to meet the constitutional budget deadline of midnight last night. For the first time in 25 years, they made it. But what happens now that Brown has cast his veto? State Controller John Chiang, a Democrat, signs the checks.
Which Way, L.A.?
Would Public Funding Push Private Money Out of Politics? California voters prohibited the public financing of political campaigns in 1988. In 2000 and again in 2006, they refused to lift the ban by margins of 65 and 74 percent. But, in less that two weeks, they'll be asked to vote again, this time on a pilot program for just one statewide office. We get the details of Proposition 15 and hear a debate on the California Fair Elections Act.
Which Way, L.A.?
Party Time: Money and Politics in Sacramento In the latest survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, approval of the California state legislature dropped to a record low. Just 14% of registered voters thought the Assembly and Senate were doing a good job. But that hasn't prevented lobbyists from showing up at 250 fundraisers in this year alone. By one count, 19 are scheduled today in Sacramento and another 18 tomorrow. We hear more from Shane Goldmacher of the Los Angeles Times, Democratic State Senator Loni Hancock and former Republican State Senator Ross Johnson, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Recommended
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.