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2014 Annual Western Chapters Conference

January 25, 2014

 

2014 ANNUAL WESTERN CHAPTERS CONFERENCE
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Saturday, January 25, 2014
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

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10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Panel One: Has the United States Supreme Court killed California’s initiative process or helped check its abuses?

2014 Annual Western Chapters Conference

Topics: Election Law • Federalism • Supreme Court • Free Speech & Election Law
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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Has the United States Supreme Court Killed California’s Initiative Process or Helped Check Its Abuses? - Event AudioThis panel will focus on what effect the United States Supreme Court’s holding that initiative proponents lack standing to defend initiatives that the Governor and Attorney General will not defend will have on California’s initiative process in general. What are the pros and cons of the initiative process as a matter of public policy? Do government lawyers (and politicians) have an ethical obligation to defend laws they do not agree with, especially those passed via citizen initiative?

Panel One: Has the United States Supreme Court killed California’s initiative process or helped check its abuses?

  • Prof. Rick Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science, University of California, Irvine
  • Mr. Dan Kolkey, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
  • Prof. Justin Levitt, Loyola Marymount University
  • Prof. Kenneth Miller, Claremont McKenna, and Author, Direct Democracy and the Courts
  • Moderator: Hon. Sandra Ikuta, U. S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • Introduction: Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society

 

Speakers

12:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Luncheon Address: An Interview with Former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese

2014 Annual Western Chapters Conference

Topics: Constitution • Federalism • State Courts • State Governments
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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The Federalist Society's Lawyers Division hosted this interview with Former Attorney General Ed Meese on Saturday, January 25, 2014, during the 2014 Annual Western Chapters Conference.

Luncheon Address: An Interview with Former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese

  • Hon. Edwin Meese III, Former U.S. Attorney General
  • Interviewer: Hon. Carlos T. Bea, United States Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • Introduction: Mr. Eugene B. Meyer, President, The Federalist Society

 

Speakers

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Panel Two: How do we balance disclosure with maintaining the privacy of participants in contentious issues?

2014 Annual Western Chapters Conference

Topics: Constitution • First Amendment • Security & Privacy
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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How Do We Balance Disclosure with Maintaining the Privacy of Participants in Contentious Issues? - Event AudioSupporters of Proposition 8 have invoked NAACP v. Alabama to support their claims for anonymity, citing fears of intimidation and discrimination because of their opposition to same-sex marriage. How much transparency is needed when it comes to donors and supporters of contentious political issues? Is a signature on a petition deserving of a different degree of privacy than a financial contribution? Do different levels of support deserve different degrees of scrutiny? Or, as even Justice Scalia declared in oral arguments in Doe vs. Reed, is a certain amount of “civic courage” needed when taking a public stand on an issue? Do threats of harassment or even violence trump the need for transparency and disclosure? What are the repercussions for the First Amendment and direct democracy? How much privacy should be offered in ballot measure disclosure systems?

Panel Two: How Do We Balance Disclosure with Maintaining the Privacy of Participants in Contentious Issues?

  • Mr. Paul Avelar, Institute for Justice
  • Mr. Manny Klausner, Reason Foundation
  • Mr. Peter Scheer, First Amendment Coalition
  • Mr. Hans von Spakovsky, The Heritage Foundation
  • Moderator: Hon. Carolyn Kuhl, Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles

 

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