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Jon Brooks is News Fix’s editor, host, chief blogger and Bay Area newshound, searching for what’s news in the region.
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Category Archives: Government
California Vies for Drone-Testing Contracts
By Aarti Shahani It looks like the skies are going to become a lot more crowded. The Federal Aviation Administration wants to put unmanned aerial vehicles operated by joysticks in the same air with planes operated by pilots. Last month … Continue reading
Proposition 8 Oral Arguments Explained
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After a long and winding road, Proposition 8 had its day at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. For more than an hour, the justices of the high court grilled attorneys on California's same-sex marriage ban.
The oral arguments were dominated by the question of standing, which focused on whether the authors of Prop. 8 have the legal right to defend the measure in court when the state refused to do so. Justices also grappled over the meaning of marriage and what role the court system should have in changing long-held traditions.
The questions that justices ask can shed light on their concerns and how they might rule. KQED spoke with Vikram Amar, a professor of law at UC Davis, about what certain arguments could mean.
Standing
Amar: I thought there were three, maybe four, maybe five justices already who expressed significant skepticism about whether the sponsors have standing to defend Prop. 8.
Audio, Transcript of Supreme Court Proposition 8 Oral Arguments
Listen to the oral arguments on California's Proposition 8 at the Supreme Court this morning.
Read the transcript:
Read all the of the case filings in the Proposition 8 and DOMA cases.
The 'Other' Ted: No on 8 Attorney Prepares for Supreme Court Oral Arguments
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When Theodore Boutrous, Jr. hopped on the phone the other day from Washington, he was giddy. “We just got a unanimous ruling at the Supreme Court!” He was referring to the 9-0 decision on behalf of his client, an insurance company fighting a class action case.
I asked Boutrous, who goes by “Ted”, how many times he’s argued in front of the Supreme Court. “Twice, “ he said. “And I’ve got 18 votes!” When I suggested he should retire while he has a perfect record, he emailed back “It’s tempting!”
Since the start of the Prop. 8 debate in federal court four years ago, Boutrous has been overshadowed by his high profile colleague, attorney Theodore Olson. Both are partners at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (Boutrous in the Los Angeles office, Olson in D.C.) and have worked together for nearly 30 years. Olson is renowned in legal circles as a leading conservative, which makes his pairing with David Boies (whom he faced on opposite sides of the Bush v. Gore case in 2000) so interesting.
Boutrous may not get the “ink” they get, but he’s been an integral part of the legal strategy against Prop. 8.
Report: California Should Give Up Control of Some State Parks
by Tracie Cone, Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Over the years, California has added more parks to its state system than it can afford and should consider turning over control of some to local entities, a new report says. … Continue reading
Oakland City Council Members Face 'Interference' Charges
You can call your city council member because your garbage didn't get picked up, or because your basement is flooding in a storm. But don't ask for help with your parking ticket, let alone a city job. You can get … Continue reading
Stockton Is Broke - But Is It Bankrupt?
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Stockton, California, lays claim to a lot of undesirable superlatives: it’s America’s foreclosure capital, an annual contender on the Forbes “Most Miserable” list, and the United States’ largest bankrupt city. But the city might lose that last claim, depending on the … Continue reading
Prop. 8: How We Got Here (Video)
You might say the long journey of Proposition 8 began May 15, 2008, when a ruling came down from the California Supreme Court declaring that gay and lesbian couples had a legal right to get married.
Mayor Gavin Newsom celebrated at City Hall with a crowd of thrilled San Franciscans, “This door’s wide open now. It’s gonna happen whether you like it or not. This is the future, and it’s now.”
It was a historic ruling, but not a done deal.
The ruling infuriated supporters of traditional marriage, including Randy Thomasson, with Protect Marriage.
“It will spur Californians to go to the polls to override the judges and protect marriage licenses for one man and one woman in the California constitution,” Thomasson said.
