Legislating Public Safety
As the community of Isla Vista mourns, the deadly rampage last weekend has re-invigorated calls for legislative action. In Washington today, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St Helena) introduced federal legislation to target mental health services and reduce gun violence. Earlier in the week, California Assembly members Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) proposed bills to further restrict access to guns for people deemed mentally ill. Senate leader Darrell Steinberg announced a separate set of proposals to address mental health care in the criminal justice system and to expand training for law enforcement officers. Can legislation prevent would-be-killers before they go on rampages?
Guests:
• Frank Zimring, UC Berkeley School of Law
• Josh Richman, Bay Area News Group
• April Dembosky, KQED Health Reporter
Further Reporting:
• Amid Warning Signs, Isla Vista Killer Slipped Through System
• Isla Vista Aftermath: Can Legislation Prevent Mass Shootings?
Congresswoman Jackie Speier on Sexual Assault on College Campuses
Colleges across the country are grappling with sexual violence against women on campuses - what a White House task force recently called an epidemic that affects one in five college women. Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Rights is investigating complaints from more than fifty campuses across the country, including UC Berkeley, which is also the subject of a state probe. Scott Shafer recently sat down with Bay Area Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who is expected to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to address the issue.
Further Reporting:
• Speier Demands Accountability for Campus Sexual Assaults
• UC Berkeley Students Press for Stronger Action on Sexual Assaults