Proposition 61 – State Prescription Drug Pricing
Every year, the state of California pays billions of dollars for prescription drugs for retired public employees, low-income residents on Medi-Cal and prisoners, among others. Proposition 61 on the November ballot aims to lower spending on those drugs by barring state agencies from paying more than the price negotiated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Roger Salazar, spokesman for Yes on Proposition 61, and Kathy Fairbanks, spokeswoman for No on Prop. 61 discuss the measure with Scott Shafer.
California Wildfires
Earlier this week, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency after a blaze in Southern California prompted evacuation orders for more than 80,000 people and burned at least 100 homes. That blaze ignited while firefighters were still working to contain a wildfire that raced into the town of Lower Lake, 80 miles north of San Francisco, and destroyed nearly 200 homes. Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley, explains why wildfires in California may be getting more frequent and destructive.
Josh Levs Interview
In this presidential election year, paid family leave has emerged as a top workplace issue, with proposals ranging from 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to new tax credits for employers. But the discussion of such policies usually focuses on maternity leave. Josh Levs, author of All In, makes the case for why paternity leave is essential to helping families and businesses thrive.