To Defend Against Trump, California Hires Holder
We begin in Sacramento, where the state Legislature has retained an attorney to help them in their anticipated legal fights against President-elect Donald Trump. That attorney would be Eric Holder, the former U.S. attorney general. Holder is now an attorney at Washington, D.C.-based Covington and Burling. Senate President Kevin de Leon joins us to discuss the hire.
Lawmaker Editorial on Law Decriminalizing Child Prostitution Causes Firestorm
Under SB1322, anyone under 18 cannot be arrested and prosecuted for soliciting or engaging in prostitution. Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen put out a scathing editorial that called the law "immoral." Allen rejects criticism he received for saying the state has now legalized child prostitution.
New Bill Aims to Add Shifts for California's Part-Time Workforce
We turn now to California's workforce, specifically the 3.5 million Californians who work part-time. In November, San Jose voters approved a first-in-the-nation ballot measure that would require employers to give existing workers first dibs on hours as they become available, before they hire a new part-time worker or contractor. San Diego Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez joins us to discuss a statewide bill she has introduced, modeled after San Jose's measure.
Sierra Snowpack Below Average Despite Early-Season Storms
State water officials conducted their first direct eyeball assessment of the Sierra Nevada snowpack on Tuesday -- and what they found might be a little counterintuitive if you've been watching rain gauges just about anywhere in California's lower elevations. It's only recently that the storms coming off the Pacific have turned cold enough to start building up the snowpack, which still stands at just above 70 percent of the average for this date.