In an attempt to make the topics of 13 propositions on the Nov. 7 ballot memorable enough for the public to vote on, the UCLA School of Law hosted a “Hot Topics, Cold Facts” forum to discuss each proposition.
The merits of notifying parents before a minor’s abortion; placing Global Positioning Systems devices on high-risk sex offenders; and taxing California oil producers to support alternative energy research were among the issues debated.
State Assembly members, professors, lawyers and representatives of various organizations were invited to take part in the controlled debate to educate the public on both sides of each issue, said Kathay Feng, director of voter advocate group Common Cause, which co-sponsored the event.
Feng encouraged students to be educated and vote on all of the propositions.
“Many first-time voters experience shock when they step into the booth and see how many things there are to vote for,” Feng said. “Then they turn in a ballot that’s mostly blank, and that’s a shame.”
Feng also said if young voters want to see campaigns geared more toward them, they must first improve their turnout, which has remained low year after year.
Ryan Dunn, a student in the UCLA School of Public Affairs and the UCLA School of Law, said he came to watch the debate knowing nothing except what he had seen on TV in campaign ads.
“I want to hear more than what I get from ads on television,” Dunn said. “Hearing about these issues from people that are directly invested in it and how they respond to things off the cuff is a lot more interesting too. I will definitely research all them and have a sample ballot ready for election day.”
The rest of the state will also be able to access and listen to the debate, Feng said.
The event was filmed and will be available on DVD in mid-October.
During the debate there was also discussion of the five-part package of bond propositions that will be on the November ballot.
Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, argued that Propositions 1A, 1B, 1D and 1E were absolutely necessary in California in order to properly fund the state’s education, transportation and disaster preparedness for the present and future.
But Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, said a bond proposal like Proposition 1A, which secures more money for transportation, takes away from money that could be kept in a rainy-day fund to deal with potential emergencies.
The Proposition 1C portion of the package deals with more affordable housing, which would benefit cities such as Los Angeles that have over 90,000 people without homes, said Marsha Temple, president of Homeless Health Care Los Angeles.
But Peter De Baets, a Libertarian candidate for the California State Senate, said the bond does not address fundamental issues as to why there is no affordable housing and how to get more affordable housing.
There was also discussion of propositions dealing with campaign financing, council member term limits and eminent domain.
Dunn is particularly interested in Proposition 90, having to do with eminent domain.
Law student Nate Brown said he is not particularly interested in the propositions. He said he would rather see state legislators deal with issues such as energy costs and transportation funding.
“The average citizen – myself included – does not have the time or resources to create laws,” Brown said. “That’s why we hire legislators and pay them to work full time.”