Division over who should lead the CA Democratic Party causes friction, LA City Attorney Mike Feuer threatens to sue the DOJ over jail guidelines, the history of cats in Los Angeles.
State of Affairs: California's blue brings in the green, but a Dem dispute looms
This week on State of Affairs:
- If you think things are tough for the Republican Party in California, get this: In the first six months of this year, Democrats in the state raised three dollars for every one dollar Republicans brought in.
- But it's not all roses for Democrats. There's an ongoing dispute over who should lead the state's Democratic Party, and it could foreshadow problems for Democrats nationwide.
Guests:
- Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, professor of public policy at USC
- Carla Marinucci, senior editor for Politico's California Playbook
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.
LA's city attorney considers his options to protect funds from the feds
The Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, issued new guidelines last month regarding undocumented inmates held in local jails.
They require local law enforcement to give the Department of Homeland Security 48 hours notice before releasing certain detainees. And the rules came with a very big stick: comply or risk losing federal law enforcement grants.
That didn't sit well with L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer, in large part because the grant gives the city about $1.5 million to help local officers address violent crimes.
Earlier this week, Feuer responded to the DOJ, arguing that the new rules shouldn't apply to L.A. city jails. He also asked for clarification on the order, giving the Justice Department a deadline of Friday.
In the letter, Feuer said that if he didn't receive an answer he "may be compelled to seek judicial relief."
The application deadline for the grant, the "Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program," is less than a month away.
"Our jails are not places where we keep people convicted of crimes," Feuer explained to KPCC's Take Two. "We keep in L.A. jails folks who have been arrested," Feuer said.
He said the city rarely needs to keep an inmate longer than 48 hours, making it difficult for L.A. to comply with the DOJ's newest guidelines.
"The way Homeland Security gets apprised even of someone being in our detention is a series of steps that are are taken that eventually get to Homeland Security in that 48-hour period," Feuer said.
The City Attorney said he's concerned that holding inmates for longer than legally necessary could violate their rights.
"There are courts that have said that if a jail official detains somebody for more than the period when otherwise they'd be released, that that could subject the city to liability," Feuer said. "That's the bottom line here. We don't want to be in that position," he said.
City Attorney Feuer said Friday that the Department of Justice has acknowledged receiving his letter, but a "substantive" conversation has yet to be had.
"Sometime after this morning, we will have had communications with the Department and will continue to evaluate what the best course of action is to protect the city's funds and to make the city as safe as possible," he said.
Feuer declined to say exactly what legal remedies he's considering.
"I'm not going to tip our hand at this point," Feuer said.
Press the blue play button above to hear the interview.
California looks to Kentucky for bail reform
A growing number of advocates and policy experts of all political stripes have been calling for reform of the current bail system.
Cash bail is supposed to ensure that people who are arrested, charged and released will show up for their court date.
But bail reform advocates say that California's current bail system is unfair, especially for low income people.
And they point to recent data that shows the median cost of posting bail - about 50-thousand dollars - is five times the national average.
But on lawmaker in California, State Senator Robert Hertzberg, is pushing to change current policy, and he's looking to Kentucky as a model.
Great morning in Kentucky observing what the world looks like without commercial
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— John (@FightPovertyCA)
Cal Matter's Samantha Young has been writing about why Kentucky's bail reform efforts could serve as a model for California, she spoke to us about her report.
New law would stop tickets for entering crosswalk after countdown begins
Los Angeles-area Assemblymember Miguel Santiago recently proposed a bill that would make it legal to begin crossing the street when the flashing countdown is on.
Currently, police can issue tickets to anyone who begins crossing a street after that countdown begins. According to the LA Times, 17,000 pedestrian tickets were issued in Downtown over a 4-year-span - many for this kind of crosswalk violation.
The bill, AB 390, would make it OK to begin crossing the street while the countdown sign is flashing - as long as you make it across the street before the Don't Walk signal pops up. It was approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee in May and is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Take Two spoke with Assemblymember Santiago.
“Let’s say hypothetically you have 40 seconds [to cross the street]. We’re not saying you have to make it one minute, we’re saying rearrange the way those 40 seconds are set up. You could make a much safer crosswalk and we’re trying to encourage people to walk, there’s no reason why we should discourage people by giving them tickets while they’re walking. All we’re saying is antiquated laws should be modernized, and we shouldn’t be trying to fill city coffers with ‘gotcha’ laws that give people tickets when they enter the crosswalk and its safe."
To listen to the full segment, click the blue play button above.
Cats have left plenty of historical pawprints in Southern California
On the corner of Baxter and Echo Park Avenue, a sidewalk runs along the edge of Elysian Heights Elementary school in Echo Park. It spans almost an entire block, but if you look closely, you'll see messages of love carved into the asphalt.
Nearly 60 years ago, students left behind written tributes to one of the school's most beloved figures of all time: a domestic short hair cat. His name was Room 8.
“This sidewalk, isn't just a sidewalk,” said Paul Koudanaris, a historian who specializes in visual culture and the history of felines. “It's a pathway through 16 years of love and devotion.”
Koudanaris will be presenting a lecture about Southern California's elaborate cat history at CatCon in Pasadena this weekend, where one can be immersed in all things feline and learn about a variety of notable cats, including Room 8.
The path of Room 8 first took him to the school in 1952, Koudanaris said.
"Just snuck into a room while the kids were out at recess,” he said. “And they asked his teacher, 'Can he stay for a little while?' And she said, 'For a little while.'”
That little while became the rest of his life: 16 years.
The students named him after where they found him, Room 8, but he also was actual roommate for them – a very popular one. During his time at the school, Room 8 received more than 10,000 pieces of mail from all over the country. He became the beloved cat that “had a adopted a school."
When Room 8 passed away in the late '60s, in addition to making inscriptions in that sidewalk, the school found other ways to commemorate him.
There are murals.
Photographs.
And even press clippings.
In some ways, Room 8 is this school's spirit animal, and Koudanaris says the love of cats has been an important part of L.A.'s soul.
"Ten thousand fan letters throughout your life and 16 years of love and devotion in a school. I would say that counts as a really important cat."
Below are some of L.A.'s other standout felines:
1. Pepper, the first showbiz cat
"Pepper changed everything in Hollywood, because the perception was that cats can't act. Cats are useless on set. Pepper not only proved that cats could act, Pepper got the first starring role ever in a film for a cat."
The film was 1965's "That Darn Cat!"
2. Orangey, the cat from "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
"Five hundred movie and TV roles ... back in the '50s they had an award called the PATSY awards, it was like the Oscars for animals. Orangey was the first cat to ever win a PATSY award. Not only that, a decade later, Orangey won a second award for 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and became the only cat ever to win two of these awards."
For more information on the CatCon convention and Paul Koudanaris’ history chat about cats, click here. For the full interview segment, click the blue play button above.
Interview answers have been edited for clarity and length.