KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Jeff Bell and KCBS Radio political reporter Doug Sovern explore both sides of the Prop 20 debate, which would increase penalties for certain crimes and make it harder for some inmates to be considered for parole. They speak with both Citrus Heights Police Chief Ron Lawrence, the immediate past president of the California Police Chiefs Association and Lenore Anderson with NO on Prop 20, she’s the founder and president of Californians for Safety and Justice. 

KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Jeff Bell and KCBS Radio political reporter Doug Sovern explore both sides of the Prop 20 debate, which would increase penalties for certain crimes and make it harder for some inmates to be considered for parole. They speak with both Citrus Heights Police Chief Ron Lawrence, the immediate past president of the California Police Chiefs Association and Lenore Anderson with NO on Prop 20, she&rsquo;s the founder and president of Californians for Safety and Justice.&nbsp;

A daily deep dive into an issue of public policy or politics that's driving the conversation in California. Each day, we interview a guest who's a newsmaker, public official, or expert.

A daily deep dive into an issue of public policy or politics that's driving the conversation in California. Each day, we interview a guest who's a newsmaker, public official, or expert.

The State of California

A daily deep dive into an issue of public policy or politics that's driving 
the conversation in California. Each day, we interview a guest who's a 
newsmaker, public official, or expert.

The State of California: Both sides of Prop 20

Despite years of preventive measures, San Francisco still has the highest
pedestrian death rate in the nation, and is on track to break its unfortunate record
this year.

So now the City is going to try something new to slow cars down and
make the streets safer for people on foot.

This week the Municipal Transportation Agency approved a plan to install 33 “speed safety cameras,” as part of a pilot program made possible by a bill co-authored by State Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco.

He’s also behind a bill to help expedite conversion of empty downtown office buildings into housing, to help revitalize the Financial District while also providing much-needed housing stock.

For more, KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern, is joined by by Assemblymember Phil Ting, Democrat from San Francisco.

Despite years of preventive measures, San Francisco still has the highest pedestrian death rate in the nation, and is on track to break its unfortunate record this year.
So now the City is going to try something new to slow cars down and make the streets safer for people on foot.
This week the Municipal Transportation Agency approved a plan to install 33 “speed safety cameras,” as part of a pilot program made possible by a bill co-authored by State Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco.
He’s also behind a bill to help expedite conversion of empty downtown office buildings into housing, to help revitalize the Financial District while also providing much-needed housing stock.
For more, KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern, is joined by by Assemblymember Phil Ting, Democrat from San Francisco.

SF redoubles efforts to curtail pedestrian death rate, highest in the country

A new report blasts California for continuing to take federal benefits away from foster children, to help balance the state budget.

The nationwide study gives California and 43 other states a grade of F, for diverting funds to foster care agencies, without ever even telling kids that the money is rightfully theirs.

This has been a practice for many years, but in recent years there’s been a movement to ban it, which Arizona has done, and there’s federal legislation in the works. California applies for Social Security disability and survivor benefits in the names of foster children, then collects the money and uses it to fund state agencies that provide foster care. But that money is supposed to go to the kids themselves.

A bill to end this practice passed unanimously in the state legislature last year, but Governor Newsom vetoed it, saying it would blow a hole in the state budget, and that if lawmakers want to pass a bill that affects the budget, it has to be part of the budget-writing process.

For more, KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio's news anchors Brett Berkhart and Patti Reising, spoke with Jessica Heldman, the Fellmeth-Peterson Associate Professor in Child Rights, at the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law, the organization that has produced this new study, which is called “Foster Care, or Foster Con?” 

A new report blasts California for continuing to take federal benefits away from foster children, to help balance the state budget.
The nationwide study gives California and 43 other states a grade of F, for diverting funds to foster care agencies, without ever even telling kids that the money is rightfully theirs.
This has been a practice for many years, but in recent years there’s been a movement to ban it, which Arizona has done, and there’s federal legislation in the works. California applies for Social Security disability and survivor benefits in the names of foster children, then collects the money and uses it to fund state agencies that provide foster care. But that money is supposed to go to the kids themselves.
A bill to end this practice passed unanimously in the state legislature last year, but Governor Newsom vetoed it, saying it would blow a hole in the state budget, and that if lawmakers want to pass a bill that affects the budget, it has to be part of the budget-writing process.
For more, KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio's news anchors Brett Berkhart and Patti Reising, spoke with Jessica Heldman, the Fellmeth-Peterson Associate Professor in Child Rights, at the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law, the organization that has produced this new study, which is called “Foster Care, or Foster Con?”

Report sheds light on rampant misuse of federal benefits in CA foster system

An unusual recount is underway in a closely watched Bay Area
Congressional race that produced an unprecedented result. 

This is the race to succeed Representative Anna Eshoo in the 16th
Congressional district, which ended with a tie for second place, sending three
different candidates on to November.

Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo finished first, while Santa
Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Assemblyman Evan Low finished in a
flat-footed tie for second, with the exact same number of votes. Under the state’s
Top Two primary law, that means all three of them advance to the general
election. Low or Simitian could have asked for a recount, but had no incentive to
do so, since a change of just one vote could leave either one of them out of the
race. They were perfectly content to go on to a 3-way race in November. But then
two private citizens requested a recount, which anyone living in the district can
do, and now Santa Clara and San Mateo counties have begun that recount, paid
for by one of those requesters.

His name is Jonathan Padilla and he used to work for Mayor Liccardo’s campaign as finance director, and he is a Liccardo donor. The other person withdrew his request. But the Liccardo campaign denies any connection to Padilla’s request. In any event, the recount is happening, Padilla is paying for it to the tune of $16,000 a day, and in the end, it may knock either Low or Simitian out of the general election in November.

KCBS Radio Political Reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio news anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising discuss.

An unusual recount is underway in a closely watched Bay Area Congressional race that produced an unprecedented result. 
This is the race to succeed Representative Anna Eshoo in the 16th Congressional district, which ended with a tie for second place, sending three different candidates on to November.
Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo finished first, while Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Assemblyman Evan Low finished in a flat-footed tie for second, with the exact same number of votes. Under the state’s Top Two primary law, that means all three of them advance to the general election. Low or Simitian could have asked for a recount, but had no incentive to do so, since a change of just one vote could leave either one of them out of the race. They were perfectly content to go on to a 3-way race in November. But then two private citizens requested a recount, which anyone living in the district can do, and now Santa Clara and San Mateo counties have begun that recount, paid for by one of those requesters.
His name is Jonathan Padilla and he used to work for Mayor Liccardo’s campaign as finance director, and he is a Liccardo donor. The other person withdrew his request. But the Liccardo campaign denies any connection to Padilla’s request. In any event, the recount is happening, Padilla is paying for it to the tune of $16,000 a day, and in the end, it may knock either Low or Simitian out of the general election in November.
KCBS Radio Political Reporter Doug Sovern, along with KCBS Radio news anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising discuss.

The State of California: Both sides of Prop 20

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