Should California Employers Pay for Healthcare?; Is Race-Based Casting Discriminatory?; Should the HPV Vaccine be Mandatory?; Bob Miller: "Voice of the Kings"
Should California Employers Pay for Healthcare?
On Tuesday Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata proposed a plan to cover 4.2 million uninsured Californians, mostly the working poor. Perata's plan would require both employers and employees without health insurance to start paying for it. The plan falls short of the Democratic goal of universal coverage, and other Democrats are expected to go even further. Republican lawmakers and small business owners opposed the plan. Governor Schwarzenegger is developing his own health care reform proposal, and he has opposed making employers pay in the past. Larry talks with a variety of guests about the issue.
Is Race-Based Casting Discriminatory?
Hollywood casting "breakdowns" often specify a preferred race, ethnicity, or gender for a role - a hiring practice that gives an overwhelming proportion of lead roles to white male actors. A new legal brief from the UCLA Chicano Research Center examines the legality of this practice. It suggests that in some cases, this practice may violate title seven of the U.S. Civil Rights Act. Larry moderates a debate on the topic with UCLA law professor Russell Robinson, casting director Jane Jenkins and Individual Rights Foundation general counsel Manny Klausner.
Should the HPV Vaccine be Mandatory?
California Assemblywoman, Sally Lieber has introduced a bill that would require girls entering the sixth grade get the vaccination against HPV, the Human Papilloma virus, which can lead to cervical cancer. Although Lieber's bill offers an "opt-out" provision for parents, some conservative groups argue that requiring the vaccine is like giving teens a license to have sex. Larry talks with Assemblywoman Lieber and opens the phones for our listeners to weigh in on mandatory HPV vaccinations.
Bob Miller: "Voice of the Kings"
The Kings have been playing hockey in Los Angeles for nearly four decades. For 31 of those years Bob Miller has been the "Voice of the Kings" as the play by-play man for more than 2,500 games. Larry talks with the Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster about his new book, "Tales from the Los Angeles Kings." In it, Miller shares his insight into the teams' history including the Kings' owners, from Jack Kent Cooke to Jerry Buss. He also talks about owner Bruce McNall, who made the deal for superstar Wayne Gretzky and put LA on the hockey map, but who eventually lost the franchise by overspending.