plus, thought-provoking exhibits and crowd-pleasing shows. a preview of arts events in the bay area this fall. ♪ ♪ good evening and welcome to "kqed newsroom." i'm t huh -- i'm thuy vu. tonight governor brown and his republican opponent, neel flaws of -- neil kashkari held a spirited debate. the only one brown has agreed to before the november 4th election. the candidates clashed over jobs, education, and high-speed rail. here's a fiery exchange over a recent court case regarding teacher tenure. >> failing schools, you had a choice between fighting for the civil rights of poor kids and fighting for the union bosses who funded your campaigns. you sided with the union bosses. should be ashamed of yourself, governor. i'm going to fight for the kids. i'm going to fight for -- >> that makes no sense at all. that is so false. it's so false -- >> it's absolutely true, governor. it's -- >> gentlemen? gentlemen? i don't think we're going to -- i don't think we're going to agree. >> joining me for some perspective and official kickoff to the election season are carla marinucci, "san francisco chronicle" senior political writer. corey cook, director of the leo mccarthy center at the university of san francisco, and john myers, kqed editor joining us from the state capitol. john, let's begin with you. you moderated the debate, as we saw. what were your observations from your front row seat? >> it was intense. i think he came with a lot of attacks, criticism, highway had to show he made his case. i think the governor got angry, he fired back. the teacher tenure was one of the big issues. another that was interesting of the governor trying to defend something that he's had a hard time defending lately which was high-speed rail. >> to expand to meet our ten million new people or 15 million, we'll have to expand interstate 5, build more freeways, more airports, more runways. if we take part of that burden and put it into high-speed rail, it will be cheaper, cleaner -- >> he's raising your gas prices to fund his vanity projects. called the high-speed train, what i call the crazy train. they talk about creating jobs. what else creates jobs? building water storage all around the state. not one dam like his little water bond. a real infrastructure investment in water. >> both men on fire last night, john. this was the debate that almost didn't happen. i heard the night before, kashkari's camp was threatening to powell. what happened, and what were some of your -- to pull out. what happened, and what were some of your observations? >> we spent the labor day weekend in a discussion, i guess a dispute with the kashkari campaign. the debate all along had been a seated campaign. the candidates sitting in chairs. it was a relatively small studio at the california channel. we wanted to have a clean production there. kashkari campaign had not raised any issues about sitting until sunday when they informed us that the candidate not only didn't want to sit but would not sit. and that raised a lot of issues about fairness, about the way you shoot a television program. we continued to have discussions with them. they continued to say no way. and the media organizers, which was kqed, the "los angeles times," "telemundo 52," from l.a., and the california channel all got together and said, look, you're going to have to agree to the rules that we've been telling you the whole time, or we're going to cancel the debate. we gave them until the morning of the debate, thursday morning, and about two minutes before our deadline, they said, okay, we don't want to do it, but we'll do it. and that was the case there. so, yeah, it was an odd kind of play behind the scenes there. there was also a little tension, i think a nervousness when the two candidates came in the studio. there was a few minutes before you saw it on television where they were trying to get on their game face. it's awkward because these men, when they walked out of the studio, thuy, they do not like each other. >> i think we got a clear hint of that in the debate, john. quickly, in your mind, there was a winner? >> i don't know. i think the old adage is if you're against a heavyweight champion and you don't knock the champion down, can you win? can you win on points? i think kashkari had a good night. he made a lot of cases for what he wants to do and what he thinks the governor hasn't done. the governor is far ahead. he's got a lot of money in this campaign. he did not stumble. i would call it a draw but would not say kashkari had a bad night heat. did pretty well. >> he did put himself on the map. he very much came out strong. let's bring in carla marinucci and corey cook into this conversation. carla, you were there at the debate, as well. they clashed on numerous issues. the tesla plant, a battery plant going to nevada instead of california. immigration, governor brown's prison rearlignment program. what was your key takeaway? >> i think neel kashkari had to introduce himself to so many voters, they didn't know him. and he introduced himself as not your father's republican. a guy talking about governor brown being not there on issues of poverty. i mean, this is the guy who went to india and hung out with mother tracees amp it's hard too -- teresa. it's hard to go to the left whether it comes to jerry brown. neel kashkari wanted to portray himself as a different kind of republican. in doing so, i think he's helping to rebrand the california republican party. so on that level, he accomplished it. and i have to say, to john's credit, refreshing to see these two sit down without audience -- with our audience, no frills, and have the kind of discussion that should be happening more in california and is not because of the power plays that go on that john described. >> carla, you brought up the republican party. korcorp corey, let's braden this, what does the republican party need to do. you have an increasing latino population, now 34% of california. an increasing number of millennials registering with no party preference. 30% of them. >> 38% of the population, but only 18% of the electorate. that proportion is going to grow over the coming generation. republicans have a long-term structural problem in california. and this is exactly right. what carla said is perfectly right. republicans are looking at the long game here. so i think this is an opportunity to reposition the party to save some of the down ballot races. they're doing pretty well in local elections. they won the mayoral race in san diego. they really need to look at this as an 8 to 12 to 16-year plan to build the republican party. they have a candidate now who i think has the opportunity to have voters take a second look t republicans and say, yeah, this isn't the republican party you're familiar with. you may not vote for me in this coming election, but you might want to look at the republican party moving forward. so i think they are repositioning themselves. they lost 300,000 registered voters between 2012 and 2014, the republican party. they've got a long way to go. they're basically now hitting rock bottom. and so for them to turn this around, it really is going to be a long-term, a long, slow change in the party. i think last night was a good night for the republican party to start that transformation. >> and the republican party aside, carla, how do you think the overall demographic changes? latino population, asian population, how will that affect some of the key races are coming up? for example, south bay congressman mike honda versus -- >> absolutely right. talking about the race in silicon valley, talking about the largest asian majority population, congressional district, in mainland united states. and you've got south asians, that growing population, a lot of them behind rokana. a tech group versus labor and traditional democratic interests down there who are behind honda. this is a race to watch, and it really does sort of dramatize exactly what we're talking about, as in the governor's race. california is changing, california is at the tip of a lot of trendsetting areas in politics this year. and i think these -- that's why what we're seeing in the governor's race with neil kashkari, a young sort -- neel kashkari, a young short of candidate and in the san jose area, same dynamic. >> john, i want to turn to something else that's turning out to be a contentious issue in the upcoming november election. and that is prop 46. that seems to be one of most heated propositions, and there's a big war chest building against it. who's behind that effort, and why? >> well, let's describe what prop 46 would do if passed. it would do more than one thing. i think that's one of the reasons you'll get a lot of fighting here. it would lift a longstanding cap on medical malpractice awards in california, which has been $250,000. it would lift it above that to a million dollars, which, of course, is something that is debated as to whether or not that makes things more litigious. whether it's fair for victims of medical malpractice. it also would require drug testing of doctors. that i think i suspect was thrown in as a political sweetener here because that sounds more interesting than medical malpractice. this is a $50 million, $60 million campaign. in is the big elephant on the november ballot. it's trial lawyers versus doctors. we're going to see a lot of ads, a lot of nasty campaigning. and this measure and the candidate races that you were talking about, thuy, we know elections are about who shows up. how big is voter turnout, how small is voter turnouts, who's motivated, what are they motivated by. and a ballot measure like prop 46, the easiest thing to do in california politics is to get people to votes no. i don't know enough about that. it's too complicated, no. so the people who want to change those things in medical malpractice and drug testing, they've got the -- the odds are going to be tough for them. >> let's talk about also another key race, corey, in november. that's the tom torlakson and marshall tuck race. they're running for schools chief. torlakson being the incumbent. let's go back to the teacher tenure ruling. that is having an impact on that race. >> it is. it came up in the context of the governor's race. it will see how it plays out in the race. it will have a direct effect in the superintendent of public construction. the superintendent has asked the governor to appeal the ruling. he's clearly supported by the teachers association. he's, you know, been -- in favor of teacher tenure. he's voiced a lot of opposition to the ruling. his opponents, marshall tuck, said that this is a civil rights issue. as the judge laid out in the case, california children have an equal right to education in the state. a constitutional protection. and so they frame this as a -- as a civil rights issue. this issue of teacher tenure. this is where this is going to play out. i think it's the most competitive of statewide races. the one i think people are looking toward. >> and these are two democrats who have taken very different views this. the question is, which of these is going to resonates with voters out there. -- to resonate with voters out there? >> and how much money for marshall tuck. the union will help tom torlakson. >> and marshall tuck, like you mentioned, is closely allied with neel kashkari, the republican. will the reel test come four years from now when we're -- will the real test come four years from now when brown is turned out? is this when we might see it might be a republican or an independent -- >> i think you hit it right on the head. a lot of people looking at neel kashkari who put $2 million of his money into the race saying what is his game plan. he cannot win against jerry brown. he's behind double digits. is he looking ahead to the next race. that's where i think everyone's going now. already eyes are sorts of turning to that -- to the next generation, and who are going to be the leaders in both parties. and whether neel kashkari will be part of the picture. >> and lookinging at the 2/3 majority in the assembly and senate. they're looking at whether they can pick up one of the congressional races. this is an important election, a test of the top two primary which changes the dynamics a bit. there are 26 races i think in california where there are orphan voters who don't have a candidate from their party on the ballot. about 12 are pretty well contested. i think candidates and campaigns are learning how the top two system works. i think we might see two or four years from now a different type of contest under the top two primary systems. >> fascinating. john, go ahead. did you want to ask something? >> it depends who shows up. the president's approval rating in california are at an all-time low. maybe democrats aren't as motivated as they need to be. gaerngs thecosm -- again, the composition of the electorate is fascinating. >> i could listen to you talk all day. very fascinating. all good things must come to an end. thank you for being here, carla marinucci, three, and ocorey co myers. and we look ted largest freshman class of the state legislature in decades. new election rules mean the lawmakers are poised to serve longer than any legislators in the past 20 years. some political observers think this could lead to more effective governing in sacramento. >> for one night in the summer, california politics take a back seats to america's paststime. it's the traditional democrats versus republicans legislative softball game. the proceeds from which go to charity. >> we've got to be communicating to one another out there. wherever the ball's going, got to be talking, hey, guys, go to first, go to second. >> this softball game has for years seemed like an anomaly in sacramento. here republicans, not democrats, dominate. >> at that fiscally conservative. >> all right! >> they won there game and help every game for the past -- they won this game and almost every game for the past four years. legislators seem to almost like each other. it's hugs and handshakes all around. >> thank you. thank you. >> reporter: quite the contrast to their day jobs at the state capitol which is why the session of the california legislature that ended last week was so notable. >> the tone of how we conduct our work is changing immensely, and in very positive ways. >> we have developed, i think, a real send of a class identity. >> i mean, we disagree certainly rather robustly at times. we get along pretty well. >> the constitution of the united states -- >> the constitution of the united states -- >> reporter: in fact, many members of the assembly's freshman class who took office two years ago see things in the way few california legislators have in the modern era. one big reason is 2012's proposition 28. longer term limit of up to 12 years in either house. the shorter term limits imposed in 1990 offered little time to govern, says democratic assembly member mark levine. >> legislators, one house or the other, have known they've got an expiration date essentially. they're looking to run for the other house, the assembly or senate, or congress or statewide office. means that they're looking more short term. they're basing legislation on how to get to the next job. and that hasn't been good for us. >> reporter: now, says republican assembly member melissa melendez, there's motivation to act differently. >> you get to know one another, become friends. i think you're more likely to open up your ears and really listen whether they come to -- listen when they come to with legislation they want you to support. >> reporter: go back to 1966 when ronald reagan beat pat brown. to find a freshman class this size elected to the california legislature. this class was elected in 2012, the same year that the voters relaxed and changed the term limits law about how long you can serve in the state capitol. the voters had already changed the primary rules in california and the way the political districts are drawn. combine all that together, and you may get something that almost never happens in sacramento -- real change. >> you're seeing movement away from that gridlock. movement away from that inability to deal with the state's most basic issues. >> reporter: steve boylard who heads up the center for california states at cal state sacramento says that movement may change the political power structure of the capitol. that power structure for more than two decades has been dominated both by the lobbyists who linger in the state house holidays during every major vote and by legislative staff, who have often been here two or three times longer than elected politicians. this group of legislators may change that, says democratic assembly member susan eggman. >> the context has changed. like, you know, lobbyists, different advocacy groups, they know we're going to be around for a while. so i think just in that people have sort of held back a little bit to see how we're going to interact with this new class. >> they're demanding more answers, more information. they're looking at longer term. and over time, i think tell give a tremendous amount of power accumulating the expertise and relationships that come from spending a long time in office. >> reporter: relationships, these newest legislators say the personal can help soften the partisanship. partisanship that has in the past stifled just about everything else. >> i look at it, and i think many of my colleagues do, that -- i'm going to look at you for 12 years. so it's not in my best interests to make an enemy of you in the beginning, nor is it in your best interests. >> the negative impacts of single-use plastic sandbags well documented. >> reporter: even so, there are still serious disagreements. the difference, says assembly member marc levine, is how the disagreements are handled. it's something he says he discovered from republicans during the debate over one of his bills this year. >> i actually had freshmen members come and say they were asked to speak against my bill, that they weren't going to vote for it, but they were refusing to speak on the floor against. and i think that says something about the relationships that we're building and the long-term thinking that we're put information to our legislation, as well. >> reporter: it does seem like there's a -- >> it does seem like there's a genuine cooperative spirit. the question, is that just a one-time thing about a particular mix of members, or is it a more long-term trend coming about as a result of these various tlaerchls haform have g effect? >> reporter: it's hard to know how to measure change at the states capitol. will a new era mean more bipartisan voting on bills or simply more bipartisan work on the biggest issues facing the state? a number of legislators point to what happened in august. a bipartisan deal on a new water bond on the november ballot. a $7 billion plan to ensure long-term reliability of water sources across california. the bond passed by an almost unanimous vote in both houses. >> democrats and republicans that are more unified than i've ever seen probably in my life. so with that -- [ applause ] >> there wasn't a lot of argument. it was just here's what we've got, let's gets it done. >> reporter: and this freshman class of legislators could change the balance of power between their branch of government and that led by the governor. jerry brown is the most seasoned politician in sacramento. but the next governor after brown will likely be a rookie compared to a legislature that by then may have almost a decade's more experience in the capitol. >> over time we're going to see the legislature reasserting itself as a more powerful player in the process. >> reporter: and maybe that's why the freshmen who played in this charity softball game were the real mvps. how they worked through their differences will be key, perhaps more compromise and less of a tendency to just run up the score. that's the kind of hustle for which californians everywhere seem to be longing. >> well, as election season gets going, it's also time for a preview of this season's lineup of arts and performances. we have some big-name shows coming to the bay area including chinese dissidents artists, the late great keith herring, and soulful, witty country singer, brandi clark. i talked with the co-host of kqed's "to do list," to get his top picks. cy, thank you for being here. >> great to see you. >> let's start with visual arts beginning with the anderson collection. the andersons have donatesed more than 100 artworks to the university. what a collection. i know both of us toured the home when the art was there. >> now there's a separate museum on the stanford campus that's been built for the anderson collection. about 120 works, roushenberg, pollock, joan mitchell. so many others, brilliant taste. >> how generous for them to donate this so everybody else can enjoy it. also stanford -- canter robert frank, that exhibit. >> robert frank is best known for "the americans. "the "a book he created of photographs -- "the americans." a book he created of photographs, the gieg heiuggenh traveled in the 1950s. beautiful black and white photographs. what was special was they punctured the suburban fantasy of how america was all white and all perfect. what's great about the canter and the anderson collection both, these are free museums. >> all wanted to talk about a couple of exhibits with political overtones including one being producedry moatly from china. how is that -- how is that happening? >> well, he's a very skilled artist who's restricted from leaving china by the chinese government. he's a well-known political prisoner, imprisoned for 81 days at one time. now he can stay in his compound, he can travel a little bit. he's been extraordinarily critical of the government. but the foundation here, cheryl hanes' group, asked him to do this. he's going to honor both the military -- the fact that this was a great military prison and then a -- one of the toughest federal lockups for years. and its native american history for a place of protest. >> our show is about freedom. human struggle for freedom of speech. >> i also want to ask you about keith herring, another show with political overtones. that's coming to the deyoung. >> right. the deyoung will show -- many hasn't been seen in 20 years, 1990 or so. best known for street art. and this is very politically oriented work that all through his life, about aids and nuclear disarmament and the environment and -- >> racial equality. >> corporate skullduggery. this is paintings and street arting. >> for music lovers, big season coming up at the center and the symphony, michael joseph thomas. big anniversary. ♪ >> he's been here 20 years. he came first in 1995. and he told me years and years ago, "i want to simply be not just making beautiful music, but i want it to be a very happy symphony." i think despite the bitter labor strike they had last year, he's made good on that promise. and they are going to be doing a lot of beethoven this year. but also fabulous piece by local -- a composer, mason bates, called "alternative energy." it was great whether it was premiered here a couple -- when it premiered here a couple of years ago. >> and the saxophonist joshua r redman, brings the trio october 2nd. >> later in the season, two other great saxophonists, charles lloyd, reuniting with the master, and rodney coltrain. he's going to be here later in the year. and he's going to re-imagine his dad's love supreme. john coltrain's "love supreme." should be an amazing show. >> let's talk about the beckett and brandi clark and jennifer ned else comi nettles. >> i'm excited. i may be the only one paying attention to brandi clark's career. she's best known for a song called "stripes," in which she resists killing her husband only because she doesn't want to be mean? prison stripes or prison orange. >> she also has a very amazing song called "his hands, "about domestic violence. we have a little pit of that. let's take -- little bit of that. let's take a listen. ♪ and i should have known better when the last three times you told me it was never ♪ ♪ ain't nothing around me but the truth ♪ >> and lots of theater and dan. let's start with party people. >> yes, i'm very excited about this. this is a -- produced by universes which is out of new york. they are a group that's gone out and interviewed people with the young lords, a -- a dominican and puerto rican radical group in the '60s, and the plaque pbl panthers. they created the show "party people" -- >> living off the sweat of someone else's back -- >> let's go through two more things quickly. the batsheva dance company and -- >> batsheva is dynamic tel aviv-based company coming to the bay area. they're celebrating their 50th anniversary. but it's called gaga dance style -- >> and buster burnes. >> i'm excited about this, gina delfrido wrote this play about feminism and internet porn, can women have it all. >> you managed to cover some of it. this is just of the iceberg, cy. thank you. >> thank you. for more information, we have the full fall arts preview on kqed.org/arts. thank you very much for watching, i'm thuy vu. have a good night. ♪ >> it's all about licking your >> the following kqed production was produced in high definition. [ ♪music ] >> yes, check, please! people! >> it's all about licking your plate. >> the food was just fabulous. >> i should be in psychoanalysis for the amount of money i spend in restaurants. >> i had a horrible experience. >> i don't even think we were at the same restaurant. >> leslie: and everybody, i'm sure, saved room for those desserts.