Court rules pot shops okay, with limits. Assembly bill makes it harder for parents not to vaccinate. Villaraigosa goes to Washington. KPCC film critics Wade Major and Peter Rainer join Larry to review the week’s new film releases, including Act of Valor, Wanderlust, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Project X, Being Flynn and more. TGI-FilmWeek! Documentary "Bully" gets controversial R rating.
Court rules pot shops okay, with limits
The California Court of Appeals Wednesday ruled cities cannot ban medical marijuana dispensaries. But there's a caveat: pot shops will have to grow and sell cannabis at the same location. In other words, no passing the weed to other members.
A three-judge panel in Santa Ana delivered the unanimous ruling in a multi page report in the case of the City of Lake Forest vs. Evergreen Holistic Collective - one of several collectives the city closed for violating a ban on marijuana dispensaries. Judges struck down the zoning law in Lake Forest. They described it as "a total bar contradicting state law." Attorneys in the case are expected to appeal the decision. The ruling is the first in California to stop cities from enacting zoning restrictions that ban cannabis stores.
WEIGH IN:
What are the ramifications? Will more storefront owners be forced to shut their doors in the wake of the decision that says they must sell weed only on site?
Guests:
Jeffrey V. Dunn, Attorney representing the City of Lake Forest in this case; Partner, Best Best & Krieger law firm with offices across California and in Washington D.C.
Jane Usher, special assistant Los Angeles City Attorney
Read the entire report in the case of the City of Lake Forest vs. Evergreen Holistic Collective here:
City of Lake Forest v. Evergreen Holistic Collective, No. G043909 (Feb. 29, 2009)
Assembly bill makes it harder for parents not to vaccinate
Right now when a child is enrolled in school their parents are legally obligated to have them vaccinated. However, if a parent forgets or would prefer not to vaccinate their child for religious or moral reasons, they can certainly do so. All they have to do is sign the portion of the immunization record that says this: “I hereby request exemption of the child, named on the front, from the immunization requirements for school/child care entry because all or some immunizations are contrary to my beliefs. I understand that in case of an outbreak of any one of these diseases, the child may be temporarily excluded from attending for his/her protection.” This form is available through the school and can be signed the day the parents shows up to enroll their child.
But a new bill making it’s was through the California state assembly is seeking to change that. AB 2109 would require parents that want to opt out to bring with them on the day of enrollment a written statement from their doctor, or another licensed healthcare practitioner, that states they have been informed of the benefots and risks of vaccines and the communicable disease they prevent. In addition parents would also have to bring another written statement saying they heard and understood the information provided.
The goal here is to increase the number of children receiving vaccines, but will it work? Opting out has been on the rise in recent years, will parents who are die-hard anti-vaccine advocates really change their minds after consulting with their doctor? Does this bill just create more hurdles for parents? Or can it increase protections against communicable disease for children?
Guests:
Dr. Richard Pan, Democratic Assemblyman from Sacramento, Pediatrician, author of AB 2109
Dr. Jay Gordon, Pediatrician, his practice is in Santa Monica. Dr. Gordon has been deviating from the vaccine schedule for more than 30 years.
Villaraigosa goes to Washington
On March 1 in the nation’s capital, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asked U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to empower school districts in large cities like L.A., New York and Chicago to apply for Race to the Top grants. The federal grants are designed to encourage states and reward states who are making strides in education reform.
“We need flexibility, we need accountability,” Villaraigosa said. “We ‘re willing to tie money to success in our schools, but when our states aren’t aggressively going after these dollars, when they’ve failed to challenge a broken system in the way that they have, then it’s important that we bill directly with the federal government.”
Villaraigosa and Duncan, along with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and their Superintendents, John Deasy, Dennis Walcott, and Jean-Claude Brizard, were hosting a forum entitled, “Education Now: Cities at the Forefront of Reform” in Washington, DC.
Secretary Duncan and local leaders discussed a variety of issues including accountability, school management, strengthening the teaching profession, and the importance of school leadership.
In addition, the mayors and education officials highlighted efforts to expand access to a high-quality education and improve student outcomes in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In requesting access to the federal programs, as well as a waiver from No Child Left Behind restrictions, Villaraigosa pointed out that L.A., Chicago and New York each have their own school governance structures, and that “mayors must engage in education issues because the health of a city is undeniably linked to the health of its schools.”
The move could potentially put Los Angeles in competition with the state of California for federal funds.
Next week, the Mayor will be back in DC with 200 L.A. business leaders. The big message then will be congressional passage of the transportation bill that includes the America Fast Forward loan program, which would allow localities to accelerate transportation projects.
Villaraigosa said he’s optimistic the bill will pass through Senate, but the issue is the House of Representatives. He went on to say that the bill shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
“The fact is we can put 3 million people back to work if we pass this surface transportation bill. The fact is that people on both sides on the aisle historically have gotten behind the idea that investing in infrastructure, in our roads, in our highways, in our public transportation ... that’s not partisan. That’s something that we know is important to our economic competitiveness. My hope is the House will agree to the Senate version,” he said.
WEIGH IN:
Do you agree with the mayor’s education proposal? Should L.A. be able to apply for federal education grants? What else is the mayor accomplishing on the Hill today?
Guest:
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles
Watch a video of the "Education Now: Cities at the Forefront of Reform" forum:
FilmWeek: Act of Valor, Wanderlust, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Project X, Being Flynn and more
KPCC film critics Wade Major and Peter Rainer join Larry to review the week’s new film releases, including Act of Valor, Wanderlust, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Project X, Being Flynn and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and Christian Science Monitor
Act of Valor trailer:
Wanderlust trailer:
The Lorax trailer:
Project X trailer:
Being Flynn trailer:
Documentary "Bully" gets controversial R rating
Anyone who has ever been the subject of bullying knows the visceral feelings of pain associated with it. In his most recent documentary, “Bully,” filmmaker Lee Hirsch captures multiple facets of America’s bullying crisis, as well as exploring the devastating consequences bullying can have on individuals, families and communities.
The movie, produced by The Weinstein Company, has recently been involved in a fight of its own. Due to the themes involved in the movie, the Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an R rating. A high school student in Michigan who is passionate about this topic began a petition to convince the MPAA to bump the rating down to PG-13. The reasoning behind this being that a lesser rating would allow more people, particularly children and adolescents, to see the film, and that the R rating is undeserved due to a lack of nudity, extreme violence and other characteristics of movies made specifically for adults. In spite of the petition, and calls from people like Reverend Jesse Jackson, the MPAA stuck to its R rating, citing that parents should be warned about the serious themes broached in the film.
Who is right here? Is this a PG-13 movie, or should only eighteen-year-olds be able to see it unaccompanied by an adult? Will this controversy end up helping the film through word-of-mouth, or could it limit its potential impact on its viewers?
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and Christian Science Monitor
Trailer for Bully: