We look at some of the more contentious and consequential bills the California legislature is now considering. Plus, we check in with Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Seleta Reynolds on electrifying the agency's fleet. And, we hitch a ride on an electric bus.
Proposed CA Legislation
Lawmakers are back after summer recess. And over the next five weeks they'll work through more than 1,000 bills. Among them: some legislation that could change the lives of a lot of people in the state.
Guest:
- Ben Adler, Capitol Bureau Chief for Capital Public Radio
SFV & Green New Deal
There's a special election happening in Los Angles tomorrow. Voters in the northwest San Fernando Valley will be picking a new City Council representative, replacing Mitch Englander, who stepped down at the end of last year to take a job in sports entertainment. One of the issues that's been heavily debated in the council race is LA's Green New Deal-- that's a package of city-wide environmental proposals from Mayor Garcetti. To talk about where the candidates stand on the environmental policy and why it matters.
Guest:
- Emily Alpert Reyes, she's been reporting on this for the Los Angeles Times
LA Department of Transportation
It was a little over three months ago that L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a Green New Deal for the city. The plan calls for a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 to combat climate change, and it targets various sources, including buildings, electricity, trash and, of course, transportation. But the question remains: How do we get from where we are today to where we need to be? Over the next year or so, we will try to answer that here on Take Two. Today, we start with how we get around.
Guest:
- Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation
DASH Electric Buses
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation plans to go all-electric by 2030, and the transition has already begun. Today, we bring you one example - the four electric buses running daily on its Griffith Park Observatory route. Earlier this month, the route was expanded with longer service hours and more efficient routing that reduces travel times, as well as emissions.
How Latinos are feeling in the aftermath of El Paso
It's been just over a week since a gunman opened fire at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas. 22 people were killed and dozens more were injured. The shooter told law enforcement that he had driven more than 10 hours to El Paso specifically to target Mexicans in the attack. The aftermath of the violence has left Latinos all over the country shaken. Among them, three KPCC listeners, Nestor de la Torre, Mary Lou Guzman and Sandra Heib. They reflected on how they felt following the attacks.
Modern Love
What does love look like? Well, one person who might know is Brian Rea. He's an artist and Adjunct Associate Professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His work has appeared across the world in Paris, Mexico City, Barcelona, and maybe even your living room on a Sunday morning. He is the illustrator of the "Modern Love" column in the New York Times. Every week the column features a first person essay exploring what it means to love in the 21st century.
Guest:
- Brian Rea, illustrator