A Change in the Nurse-To-Patient Ratios; Follow-Up to Proposition 64; Proposition 66—What’s Next?; FilmWeek
A Change in the Nurse-To-Patient Ratios
Governor Schwarzenegger proposed yesterday to amend the nurse-to-patient ratios imposed on California hospitals by a new law that took effect in January of this year. Nursing unions supported the law, but most hospitals and medical centers were not able to comply with it for a variety of reasons, including cost. Brenda Klutz, Deputy Director of Licensing and Certification Programs at the CA Department of Health Services, Jill Furillo, Southern California Director of the California Nurses Association, and Dorel Harms, RN, Vice President of Professional services at California Healthcare Association, join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the governor’s proposal.
Follow-Up to Proposition 64
On Tuesday, California voters passed Proposition 64 that prohibits so-called “shakedown lawsuits” in which a law firm (Like the notorious Trevor Law Firm) sues or threatens to sue a business where no individual has been harmed or filed a complaint. Typically these suits are settled out of court resulting in payments to the law firm by small, mostly minority business owners. Proposition 64 limits an individual's right to sue by allowing private enforcement of unfair business competition laws only if that individual was actually injured by, and suffered financial/property loss because of, an unfair business practice. Larry talks with Jamie Court, President of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, and Michael Schmitz, Executive Director of the California League for Environmental Enforcement Now, or CLEEN, about what strategies they will adopt in response to the measure’s passage.
Proposition 66—What’s Next?
This week, Californians voted against amending the state’s Three Strikes law. What’s next for advocates of Three Strikes reform? Will state legislators attempt to reform the existing law? Sandy Harrison, spokesman for the Yes on 66 campaign, and Steve Cooley, Los Angeles County District Attorney, join Larry to talk about Three Strikes.
FilmWeek
Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com and Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com discuss this week's new film releases, including The Incredibles, Alfie, Callas Forever, Intoxicating, Happy Hour, Mind the Gap, Postmen in the Mountains, Lightning in a Bottle, and Word Wars.
The 2004 edition of the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival is highlighted this week.