California Suspends Death Penalty – California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered a moratorium on all executions in the state. He argues that innocent people have been sentenced to death, that it is unfair to people of color and very costly for taxpayers. California has the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere. Conservatives condemned the decision on the grounds that it runs counter to the will of voters, while civil rights advocates consider it a historic step. A state legislator went further and presented a constitutional amendment to abolish the death penalty in the state. Ruben Tapia has this report from Los Angeles.
More Funds for Decaying Education System Discussed in Texas – For decades, Texas has had serious problems financing public education. The state currently occupies last place in reading and is ranked 36th in money invested per student. Meanwhile, just over half of the 5 million students in the state’s educational system are Latino. To seek solutions, Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed to increase education spending without raising property taxes, the main source of revenues for public education, and the state legislature is discussing alternatives. Mariana Pineda has the details from Houston.
Medicaid-for-All Gets Hearings in Congress – In response to the galloping rise in the cost of health care and prescription drugs, a large group of progressive House Democrats have introduced “Medicare for All,” a bill that would provide health care coverage for the whole country. The plan, backed by more than 100 legislators, would transform the current health system dependent on the medical insurance industry into a single-payer system administered by the government. Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, a prominent promoter of the project, shares some details.
