California Republican Convention Kicks Off
California Republicans have their work cut out for them as they gather this weekend in Burlingame for the state convention: they hold no statewide offices, their share of registered voters has shrunk to less than 30 percent and they have minimal power in Sacramento. The party's new chair, former State Senator Jim Brulte, wants to rebuild the GOP from the ground up, a job he says could take up to a decade.
Guests:
•Hector Barajas, GOP strategist
•Scott Detrow, KQED Sacramento bureau chief
Further Reporting:
• California Republicans Plot a Return to Relevance
• Forum: The Future of the GOP
Will Affirmative Action Return to California Universities?
Since the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996, it has been illegal for California's public universities to consider race, ethnicity and gender during the admission process. Following the passage of the law, UC Berkeley saw a 49 percent drop in admission offers to African-American students, and other University of California schools saw the numbers of African-American, Latino and Native-American students decline. Now State Senator Ed Hernandez (D- West Covina) wants to amend parts of Prop 209. His measure passed the State Senate last January, and if passed by the Assembly, would be put before voters this November. It's been met with vocal opposition, particularly among Asian-Americans.
Guests:
•Ed Hernandez, State Senator (D- West Covina)
•Emil Guillermo, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
•Evan Low, Campbell city councilmember and former mayor
•Aimee Allison, senior vice president of PowerPAC