Sunday, August 31, 2014
Off year elections and voter turnout
Had a great time on NBC4 with Conan Nolan talking about off-year elections and voter turnout. Link here...
Saturday, August 30, 2014
"GOP challenger tries novel tactics against Brown"
Wonderful to speak with Juliet Williams of the AP for this article.
"He's been independent enough to convince them to come out for him, so add that to name recognition, being an incumbent and fundraising prowess, and I think you have a very strong incumbent," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles with expertise in state politics.
"He's been independent enough to convince them to come out for him, so add that to name recognition, being an incumbent and fundraising prowess, and I think you have a very strong incumbent," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles with expertise in state politics.
"California senators’ final-month fundraising down from 2013"
Good to talk to Jim Miller of the Sac Bee for this one.
Jessica Levinson, a campaign finance and ethics expert at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said she expects senators’ fundraising to be back to normal as soon as the session ends.
“I think the purpose of the prohibition isn’t to limit the total amount of money,” Levinson said of the Senate end-of-session restrictions. “It’s because there’s something so unseemly about money being raised so close in time to votes.”
Friday, August 29, 2014
"California State Senators Roderick Wright, Ron Calderon use campaign money to pay legal fees"
Quoted in this one in the Daily Breeze.
But Jessica Levinson, professor at Loyola Law School, said legal defense funds aren’t all bad.
“I think that people who avail themselves in a public forum are more susceptible to suits,” Levinson said.
“Ron Calderon and Roderick Wright are not the poster children (for legal defense funds),” she said. “There are other situations to allow legislators to raise funds so they don’t have to bankrupt themselves to defend lawsuits.” Calderon has received contributions from PG and E: $7,500; Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy, a political action committee that receives most of its money from large corporations, $5,000; BNSF Railroad, $3,000; and Independent Insurance PAC, $3,000.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
"How Jerry Brown ‘free ranges’ for advice"
Great to talk to David Siders at the Sac Bee for this one.
There is also no official list of the people Brown consults, and “the public has no idea who these people are,” said Jessica Levinson, a campaign finance and ethics expert at Loyola Law School inLos Angeles.
To Levinson, though, this concern is tempered by the breadth of opinions Brown solicits.
“The fact that there are a lot of people should be comforting,” she said. “No one person has a stranglehold over a specific issue.”
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Los Angeles Ethics Commission wants to pay you to vote...Really
Here is a link to my appearance on AirTalk today.
"LA Panel Recommends Chance At Cash Prize To Boost Voter Turnout"
Here is my appearance on the local CBS news.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Why shouldn't California voters get to weigh in on Citizens United?
My latest op-ed in the Los Angeles Times is now up.
Here is the first paragraph:
Got an opinion about the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission? Feel free to weigh in, just not on the November ballot.
Here is the first paragraph:
Got an opinion about the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission? Feel free to weigh in, just not on the November ballot.
LA Ethics Commission "wants L.A. to look at using prizes to boost voter turnout"
Good to talk to David Zahniser at the Los Angeles Times for this one.
Monday, August 11, 2014
California Supreme Court Ruling on Prop 49
California Supreme Court rules on Prop 49, the Citizens United advisory measure here.
"Corporate Lobby ALEC Aims at U.S. City Councils With New Group"
Good to talk to Tim Jones at Bloomberg News for this one.
“There’s a lot of money to be made in local government,” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who specializes in campaign finance.
Levinson said that for the new group, “privatization makes perfect sense, working hand in glove with corporations makes perfect sense, moving the agenda or expanding the agenda to county and city makes perfect sense.”
...
As for the American City County Exchange, its next goals are gathering more members and honing ideas to pitch to local officials, Russell said.
“People are realizing that a lot of work happens at the local level,” said Loyola’s Levinson.
Friday, August 8, 2014
"Legislation would require automatic recounts in very close statewide finishes"
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
"On heels of big lawsuits, teacher tenure looms as a likely 2016 presidential issue"
More here.
Jessica Levinson, a political analyst and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, argues that tenure could at the very least be part of the 2016 debate, considering the country’s public education system in general is “always a talking point.”
Moreover, she argues, Americans continue to wrestle with the difficult question: “How do we give our kids a good education while retaining the best people and getting rid of the bad ones?”
...
“Liberals and Democrats typically understand that teachers unions will support them,” Levinson said earlier this week. “But it’s definitely a difficult situation for them. They have to thread the needle... Republicans never thought they would get that support.”
Jessica Levinson, a political analyst and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, argues that tenure could at the very least be part of the 2016 debate, considering the country’s public education system in general is “always a talking point.”
Moreover, she argues, Americans continue to wrestle with the difficult question: “How do we give our kids a good education while retaining the best people and getting rid of the bad ones?”
...
“Liberals and Democrats typically understand that teachers unions will support them,” Levinson said earlier this week. “But it’s definitely a difficult situation for them. They have to thread the needle... Republicans never thought they would get that support.”
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Teacher Tenure: Taking it to the Courts
Here is my latest op-ed (originally posted on Politix, and cross-posted on the Huffington Post).
Sunday, August 3, 2014
"Gov. Brown's Mexico trip provides business, lobbying opportunities"
Good to talk to Chris Megerian for this piece with Melanie Mason.
Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School, said that changing how the trips were funded wouldn't stop special interest money from flowing to politicians in other ways.
"I don't see a perfect solution here," she said.
"I don't see a perfect solution here," she said.
"Sacramento, where water hogs like Nestlé profit and residents pay fines."
Great to talk to Cosmo Gavin of the News Review for this.
“My No. 1 reaction is, ’Wow that’s really awkward,’” says Jessica Levinson, an election-law expert and professor at Loyola Law School.
The fact the city pays someone to assist Johnson’s private organizations already raises a few ethical issues. But can anyone reasonably, honestly say that Cassandra Jennings’ job will carry no weight whatsoever when Rick Jennings is asked to vote on the mayor’s agenda?
Of course not. Still, like much of what this council does, it’s dubious but not flat-out illegal. “The question really becomes one of wisdom and appearance,” says Levinson. After all, if the city attorney didn’t see a problem, it must technically be OK, right?
Still, Levinson says, “People are entitled to ask whether their representatives are serving two masters.” They may or may not get answer. Neither Jennings nor the mayor’s office responded by press time.
“My No. 1 reaction is, ’Wow that’s really awkward,’” says Jessica Levinson, an election-law expert and professor at Loyola Law School.
The fact the city pays someone to assist Johnson’s private organizations already raises a few ethical issues. But can anyone reasonably, honestly say that Cassandra Jennings’ job will carry no weight whatsoever when Rick Jennings is asked to vote on the mayor’s agenda?
Of course not. Still, like much of what this council does, it’s dubious but not flat-out illegal. “The question really becomes one of wisdom and appearance,” says Levinson. After all, if the city attorney didn’t see a problem, it must technically be OK, right?
Still, Levinson says, “People are entitled to ask whether their representatives are serving two masters.” They may or may not get answer. Neither Jennings nor the mayor’s office responded by press time.
"In Kern County, Voting Rights Bill Meets Opposition"
Great to talk to Kerry Klein of Valley Public Radio for this one.
Last week, the Kern County Board of Supervisors went on record against AB 280. It’s a California bill that would require counties with high minority populations to get approval from Sacramento before making major changes in election procedure.
For instance, before moving a polling site location, Kern County would need to get the ok from the California Secretary of State to ensure that it’s not discriminating against minorities and low-income voters.
Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez says that would be far too costly.
Perez: "The process by which the county would have to engage in determining these sites, getting them to the Secretary of State very early on, would really impose a remarkable burden on our elections division, it would be very expensive."
According to Perez, moving polling locations could cost the county as much as $700,000 per major election. She says the county supports the spirit of the bill, but it’s just not practical.
At this point, Kern County has no say in whether or not the bill passes. But Jessica Levinson of Loyola Law School says the county’s opposition is more than symbolic.
Levinson: "Kern County coming out and saying this is going to be too costly, it’s going to be too time consuming, could give some politicians who are predisposed not to want to vote for the bill anyway, some cover, or it could sway some people who are on the fence."
Levinson says that in some jurisdictions, legislation that protects voters is needed—and that some states are already feeling the vacuum left behind by the federal Voting Rights Act.
Levinson: "That’s why we see so many voting rights changes. We see elimination of early voting, we see changes in registration laws, we see a number of states implementing voter ID. So we see a lot of proposals or laws that make voting more difficult."
Under the federal Voting Rights Act, 4 California counties had been singled out as needing voter protections. Under AB 280, any county with a minority population of more than 20% would qualify.
AB 280 has passed the State Assembly and is currently in the Senate.
"On heels of big lawsuits, teacher tenure looms as a key 2016 presidential issue"
Wonderful to talk to Joe Weber at Fox News for this one.
Jessica Levinson, a political analyst and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, argues that tenure could at the very least be part of the 2016 debate, considering the country’s public education system in general is “always a talking point.”
Moreover, she argues, Americans continue to wrestle with the difficult question: “How do we give our kids a good education while retaining the best people and getting rid of the bad ones?”
...
“Liberals and Democrats typically understand that teachers unions will support them,” Levinson said earlier this week. “But it’s definitely a difficult situation for them. They have to thread the needle... Republicans never thought they would get that support.”
Jessica Levinson, a political analyst and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, argues that tenure could at the very least be part of the 2016 debate, considering the country’s public education system in general is “always a talking point.”
Moreover, she argues, Americans continue to wrestle with the difficult question: “How do we give our kids a good education while retaining the best people and getting rid of the bad ones?”
...
“Liberals and Democrats typically understand that teachers unions will support them,” Levinson said earlier this week. “But it’s definitely a difficult situation for them. They have to thread the needle... Republicans never thought they would get that support.”
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