Orange County has become the first large county to pass Laura's Law. How could it impact people with mental illness and their families? Should the state regulate Covered California health insurance premiums? Should job applicants disclose their embarrassing online history?
Orange County becomes first large county to adopt Laura’s Law
Laura’s Law, passed in California in 2002, allows court-ordered treatment of people with severe mental illness.
In the 10-plus years since the law first past, it has gone almost completely unused, except for passage in tiny Nevada County.
Debate over passage of the law in Orange County has been fierce, with proponents telling heartfelt stories about family members lost to mental illness. Critics of the law argue that it can easily infringe on basic human rights -- that forcing treatment is an inappropriate intervention into someone’s private life.
Without Laura’s Law, people with mental illness can be held for only 72 hours at a time, and only when they pose an imminent danger to themselves or others. Some lawmakers voting for the passage of Laura’s Law vocalized support while acknowledging that the law would need a lot of supervision in a larger county.
Should courts be allowed to order treatment for people with severe mental illness? How will Laura’s Law take effect in a large county? How could it impact people with mental illness and their families?
Guest:
Steve Pitman, President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Orange County.
Sally Zinman, executive director, CAMHPRO (California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations)
Should the state regulate Covered California health insurance premiums?
A November ballot initiative would allow California’s insurance commission to reject health insurance rate increases, regulating Covered California in the same way it does property, casualty, and auto insurance.
The measure, backed by Consumer Watchdog and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, would determine whether rates were reasonable and aims to protect consumers.
Opposition to the initiative has been fierce, and a study commissioned by Californians Against Higher Healthcare Costs (a group of doctors, hospitals, and health plans against the initiative) found that allowing the insurance commissioner to regulate Covered California would disrupt the healthcare overhaul. These critics argue that the ACA should be given time to take effect in California without interference, and that having two parties with regulating authority over health insurance premiums would result in chaos and consumer cost.
The Insurance Commissioner other backers say these claims are exaggerated. How would insurance commission-regulated health exchanges impact consumers? Who should have authority over Covered California rates?
Guests:
Dave Jones, California Insurance Commissioner
Dario Frommer, Former California Assembly Majority Leader (2004-2006) and chair of the Assembly Committee on Health; current partner with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Los Angeles.
Should job applicants disclose their embarrassing online history?
The national unemployment rate might be dropping, but ask anyone, and they’ll tell you it still isn’t easy finding a job.
According to Generation Opportunity, a libertarian-leaning organization, the unemployment rate for those between 18 and 29 years old was at about 9 percent in April. For applicants that are hoping to join the workforce, one thing that they have to deal with that they didn’t necessarily have to a decade ago is their social media history: embarrassing or compromising photographs or videos that potential employers might stumble upon online.
Should applicants voluntarily tell potential employers about the skeletons in their social media closet? How should they bring up that conversation. When should they bring up that topic? What should they say?
Guest:
Debbie Hatke, Talent Strategy Manager at Strategic HR, Inc, a human resource management firm in Cincinnati, Ohio
Network Upfronts: What you’ll see and won’t see next year on TV
The upfronts are here -- the time of year when television network executives present their shows to advertisers, as an opportunity for marketers to buy television commercial time.
As we approach the end of the week, one visible trend is a high number African-American actresses are carrying series in Scandal (Kerry Washington) , State of Affairs (Alfre Woodard), and Red Band Society (Octavia Spencer).
Spy and conspiracy dramas are going strong with Homeland, Allegiance and The Americans picked-up at NBC. Comic-themed shows also seem to be hot with Gotham, The Flash, and Agent Carter all moving forward.
Notably, ABC, the fourth-place broadcast network, is launching 12 new series between fall and mid-season.
What other shows are debuting? Which shows are getting lots of buzz? What shows are cancelled? Any surprises?
Guest:
Daniel Holloway, Programming and Digital Media Editor at Broadcasting & Cable, a TV industry trade magazine. He’s in New York covering the upfronts for the publication
Lee Doyle, President, Client Development, Mindshare, a media and marketing agency with offices around the world.
#BringBackOurGirls: An exercise in soft power or futility?
The kidnapping of some 300 school girls in Nigeria by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram has outraged the world. An international rescue effort with the U.S., U.K., France, Israel and Canada has been under way. This week, the Nigerian government has shown willingness to negotiate with the militant group for the release of the girls.
A grassroot effort using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls to bring international attention to the kidnappings has spread from Nigeria to the rest of the world. The hashtag has been used over a million times on social media. Even high-powered politicians have joined the hashtag activism campaign. Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama shared her photo holding a #BringBackOurGirls sign, sparking an immediate conservative backlash. Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors joined the campaign, posing for a photo holding signs emblazoned with the hashtag.
While it’s not new for regular citizens to undertake social-media campaigns, it is new for so many politicians to do so. Who is the audience? Is social media activism effective? Could it be categorized as soft diplomacy?
Guest:
Nicco Mele, Lecturer in Public Policy, Shorenstein Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government