Voting Politics and Mechanics
As part of our California Election Watch 2014, we discuss the candidates for Secretary of State, the office that oversees how elections are run. According to a national analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts, California ranks near the bottom in areas like effective use of technology in elections. With incumbent Debra Bowen termed out, there's a vigorous competition to replace her between Democrat Alex Padilla, a state senator from Los Angeles, and Republican Pete Peterson, who runs a civic engagement institute at Pepperdine University.
Guests:
• John Myers, KQED Senior Politics and Government Editor
• Josh Richman, Bay Area News Group political reporter
• Michelle Romero, Greenlining Institute, Claiming our Democracy policy director
Further Reporting:
KQED's California Election Watch 2014
The Legacy of Prop. 187
Political history was made this week when Kevin DeLeon was sworn in as the first Latino president pro Tem of the California State Senate since 1883. DeLeon got his start in politics in 1994 through organizing against Proposition 187, a controversial ballot measure that sought to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing public services. California voters passed it overwhelmingly, but it was later struck down in federal court. Scott Shafer goes to San Diego to report on the legacy of Prop 187- twenty years later.
Loma Prieta Anniversary
Last month's temblor in Napa has been a reminder of how vulnerable the Bay Area remains to seismic activity. It's been 25 years since the Loma Prieta earthquake shook Northern California and interrupted the World Series game between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's at 5:04pm. San Francisco native and filmmaker Jon Leonoudakis was at Candlestick Park with his brother Tim. A lifelong Giants fan, Jon had brought along his video camera to document the game. In his new film "The Day the World Series Stopped," the story of that fateful moment unfolds.