Today on AirTalk, we discuss lawsuits the Trump campaign has filed in Pennsylvania and Michigan, two key battleground states this election. Also on the show, we break down the potential fallout of proposition 22; update you on the latest Los Angeles county election results; and more.
As Trump Campaign Challenges Vote Counts, Processes In Several States, A Look At The Laws And Mechanics Governing Recounts
President Donald Trump's campaign filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania and Michigan, laying the groundwork for contesting the outcome in undecided battlegrounds that could determine whether he gets another four years in the White House.
The new filings, joining existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada, demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, the campaign said. However, at one Michigan location in question The Associated Press observed poll watchers from both sides monitoring on Wednesday. Nevada is undecided as well. The Trump campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted, deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said. His campaign also announced that it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin, a state The Associated Press called for Democrat Joe Biden on Wednesday afternoon. Campaign manager Bill Stepien cited “irregularities in several Wisconsin counties,” without providing specifics.
The Trump campaign said it is calling for a temporary halt in the counting in Michigan and Pennsylvania until it is given “meaningful” access in numerous locations and allowed to review ballots that already have been opened and processed. Trump is running slightly behind Biden in Michigan. The president is ahead in Pennsylvania but his margin is shrinking as more mailed ballots are counted.
There have been no reports of fraud or any type of ballot concerns out of Pennsylvania. The state had 3.1 million mail-in ballots that take time to count and an order allows them to be received and counted up until Friday if they are postmarked by Nov. 3.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll look at the rules and mechanics governing recounts in a presidential race and preview what to expect.
With files from The Associated Press
Guests:
Anita Kumar, White House correspondent and associate editor for POLITICO; she tweets
Michael Kang, professor of law at Northwestern University; his expertise includes election law and voting rights
Libby Denkmann, KPCC politics reporter; she tweets
CA Votes To Keep App-Based Driver Contractors. What Does That Mean For You?
California voters have approved Proposition 22, according to the Associated Press, which means the drivers for Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride hailing and delivery services will remain as independent contractors, rather than employees.
In what was the most expensive ballot measure fight in state history, gig companies led by Uber, Lyft and DoorDash succeeded in persuading voters to strip app-based drivers of employee rights they had won under a new state law.
Read more on LAist.
We reached out to Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez who authored AB5. She was unable to join us during the time of the interview.
Guests:
David Wagner, KPCC business and economy reporter; he tweets
Harry Campbell, founder of TheRideShareGuy.com, a blog, YouTube channel and podcast for rideshare drivers; he tweets
L.A. County And CA Voters Cast Their Ballots On Several Elections And Props Related To Criminal Justice. What Passed?
Los Angeles County’s District Attorney race has been closely watched as a referendum on the national criminal justice movement.
Now, challenger George Gascón has pulled ahead of incumbent D.A. Jackie Lacey, who has held the position since 2012. Los Angeles’ D.A. occupies a significant role in the local criminal justice system; the D.A. prosecutes over 180,000 criminal defendants a year, and has an influence over statewide policy related to criminal justice and incarceration.
However, the growing movement to scrutinize prosecutors’ roles as gatekeepers to the system has thrown L.A. 's race into the national spotlight. Activists have cited Jackie Lacey’s record— in 2017, she sent 608 per 100,000 people to prison— as part of the reason to oppose her reelection. Gascón, who was San Francisco’s D.A. from 2011-2019 and is viewed as the more progressive candidate, sent 126 per 100,000.
Voters in Los Angeles County also voted on Measure J, which would require the Los Angeles County Charter to allocate at least 10% of the general fund to programs designed to prevent recidivism. Voters in California voted against Prop 25, which would have replaced cash bail with risk assessments for detainees awaiting trial. Voters also rejected Prop 20, which would have altered two previous ballot measures that reduce penalties and allow for earlier releases.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about how criminal justice might change in Los Angeles County and California. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
We reached out to George Gascón and Jackie Lacey, but they were unable to join us for this interview.
Guest:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC correspondent who covers criminal justice and public safety issues; he tweets
The Denkmann Report: What’s The Latest On State And Local Races?
Although the 2020 presidential election has been credited for driving record numbers of voters to the polls (or their mailboxes), California voters also cast their ballots on a number of significant local races and ballot propositions this year.
Now, many of those results are in. Los Angeles saw a move toward a more progressive criminal justice agenda with the popularity of District Attorney candidate George Gascón and of Measure J, which would require the Los Angeles County Charter to allocate at least 10% of the general fund to programs designed to prevent recidivism. Although voters are still waiting on final results for some ballot propositions, results are in for several key props. Additionally, Nithya Raman is edging out incumbent David Ryu for Los Angeles City Council, while Herb Wesson announced defeat to state Sen. Holly Mitchell in their county supervisor race.
Where do we have results, and what do those results mean for you? We’re on with KPCC reporter Libby Denkmann to learn more. Questions? Call 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Libby Denkmann, KPCC politics reporter; she tweets
In A National First, Oregon Decriminalizes Possession Of Small Amounts Of Hard Drugs
Oregon has rejected charging drug users with criminal offenses, with voters passing a ballot measure that decriminalizes possession of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other hard drugs.
“Today’s victory is a landmark declaration that the time has come to stop criminalizing people for drug use,” said Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which was behind the measure. “Measure 110 is arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date.”
The measure completely changes how Oregon’s justice system treats those who are found with personal-use amounts of the hard drugs.
Instead of going to trial and facing possible jail time, a person would have the option of paying a $100 fine or attending new “addiction recovery centers” funded by millions of dollars of tax revenue from Oregon’s legalized, regulated marijuana industry.
The passage of the measure makes Oregon, which in 1973 became the first state to decriminalize marijuana possession, a pioneer in America in trying the same with hard drugs. The measure takes effect 30 days after Tuesday’s election, but the punishment changes don’t take effect until Feb. 1. Addiction recovery centers must be available by Oct. 1.
It may sound like a radical concept, but the initiative’s backers said making criminals out of drug users — locking them up and burdening them with criminal records that made it difficult to find housing and jobs — was not working.
One in 11 Oregonians is addicted to drugs, and nearly two people die every day from overdoses in the state, the Oregon Nurses Association, the Oregon Chapter American College of Physicians and the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians had said in support of the measure.
“We urgently need a change to save families and save lives,” they wrote.
The state also passed a measure legalizing controlled, therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about Measure 110 and its potential impacts. Do you think California should adopt something similar? Share your thoughts by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Amelia Templeton, health reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting; she tweets
Kristian Foden-Vencil, reporter and producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting; he tweets