The legal aspects of DOMA. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stumps in Washington for transit funds. Orange County Journalists Roundtable. New Anti-Immigrant Bills Proposed in Arizona. Pennsylvania high school teacher’s job in jeopardy over blog posts.
Constitutional principles behind Obama's DOMA decision
Yesterday the Obama administration announced it will no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).The administration said the 15 year old federal law banning the recognition of gay marriage is "legally indefensible." White House spokesman Jay Carney said that the president has long opposed the federal law as "unnecessary and unfair." The announcement comes as two challenges to DOMA are pending in the Second Circuit court of appeals. This policy reversal could have major implications for the rights and benefits of gay couples. It could also become a major topic of debate for the 2012 campaign. Supporters and critics of the president’s decision are both invoking constitutional principles. To what extent is the president obligated to uphold the law? Is his decision a purely political move to placate his liberal constituency? What are the implications for other cases and other laws?
Guest:
Edward Whelan III, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center
Evan Gerstmann, Chair of Political Science at Loyola Marymount University
Villaraigosa wants federal funding for transit projects
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is knocking on Congress’ door Wednesday to try and find new ways to finance one of his signature initiatives – mass transit projects. Closer to home, Mayor Villaraigosa has set the lofty goal of completing 30 years of planned L.A. transit projects in a decade. It’s an ambitious plan, and his national cheerleading faces a Republican-controlled House. Anyone living in Los Angeles is certainly no stranger to the city’s congestion, and those who aren’t fortunate enough to own a car face a far worse fate dealing with LA’s mass transportation system, which lags behind many other major cities. Villaraigosa claims the projects will create jobs and not add to the deficit. Will his plans bring much needed public transportation options and jobs to Los Angeles? Or is focusing so much of his energy on such a grand undertaking mere hubris destined to fail that LA can’t afford?
Guest:
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles
Orange County Journalists Roundtable
Larry and our talented pair of Orange County journalists riff on the latest news from the OC including the ACLU’s lawsuit against the FBI for spying on an Irvine mosque, the Newport Beach City Council’s vote to erect a Ronald Reagan statue in Castaways Park, the Irvine Co.'s plans for life after Donald Bren, Costa Mesa’s decision to kill the police helicopter program, Irvine’s new sweeping animal protections, and $41.9 million in cuts to Santa Ana schools.
Guest:
William Lobdell, Orange County-based freelance journalist and columnist for the Daily Pilot in Newport Beach. He’s the author of Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America—and Found Unexpected Peace.
Teri Sforza, Staff Writer for the Orange County Register
Arizona introduces new controversial bills in ongoing effort to curb illegal immigration
Arizona has endured economic boycotts and legal challenges to its recent controversial anti-immigrant laws but the state’s legislature is not backing down from attempts to further curb illegal immigration in the state. This week a legislative committee proposed a bill that would challenge the automatic U.S. citizenship of the children of undocumented immigrants and scheduled the consideration of another bill that would force hospitals to confirm citizenship for non-emergency patients. Another bill was proposed by Senate President Russell Pearce of SB 1070 fame that would toughen requirements for employers to check the eligibility of new hires and tighten ID requirements for school enrollment. This bill would also make it a crime for someone who is in this U.S. illegally to drive in Arizona. Senator Pearce says these laws mostly pertain to “taxpayer stuff,” meaning they prevent people living in Arizona illegally from receiving the benefits of public programs.
Guest:
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democratic member of the Arizona State Senate, where she represents the 15th district (central Phoenix); she previously served three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives from January 2005 to January 2011
Rep. John Kavanagh, Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, District 8, which covers most of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Tonto Verde and Rio Verde
High school teacher’s job in jeopardy over blog posts
When "Ms. Munroe," a local high school teacher in Pennsylvania, started a blog as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family she had no idea that it would one day be discovered by students and embroil in a debate about the limits of online speech. The teacher's blog posts often referred to her students in a derogatory manner, calling them "lazy, disengaged whiners" and worse. When her students found out about her blog they reported it to the school's administrators who suspended her and are now in the midst of deciding whether or not to allow her to return. Superintendent Robert Laws made his feelings on the subject clear, "Ms. Munroe, by her own actions, has made it impossible for her to teach in this district. No student should be subjected to such a hostile educational environment." Supporters, on the other hand, say she was just voicing common public education classroom complaints, and her lawyer is defending her on freedom of speech grounds. In the age of unlimited access to information, should Ms. Munroe have kept her opinions off the web? Or was her private blog an appropriate airing ground for her frustrations as a public school teacher?
Guest:
Jeffrey K. Winikow is a Century City attorney whose practice focuses on employees' rights. He represents and counsels workers in employment-related disputes.