June 7 is the deadline to get ballots turned in.
In the week since our last newsletter, which focused on the Safe Cycling Santa Cruz County bike map, several members of the community have submitted routes which have been incorporated into the map.
A tip of the hat to California Local members Keith Bontrager, Brian DiGiorgio and Michael Lewis, and to Reddit users neomis, scsquare and evenmorestupid_herb for their contributions.
If you’re an experienced local cyclist who wants to contribute favorite (safe) commute or excursion routes, check out the Safe Cycling Santa Cruz County map and share your ride.
But this week’s newsletter focuses on a different matter: the roadmap to the June 7 election. Today marks the last day to register to vote.
Though it’s a midterm primary, turnout may well be quite robust given a number of factors: newly reshaped districts, two supervisorial races with no incumbents running, and the controversial Measure D vote, aka the Greenway Initiative. If you haven’t heard about the last one, you apparently don’t read local newspapers. But there’s still time to catch up via California Local’s Santa Cruz Rail Trail tracker, which brings together not only our own coverage of the issue but also many other articles by local journalists. Find articles by our media allies and additional coverage in the rail trail news digest.
The redistricting process left many veteran officeholders in the position of either running for a different seat or wooing voters in a dramatically reshaped district. For Robert Rivas, the former is the case; he’s moving to the 29th Assembly District, where he faces one Republican challenger: Stephanie L. Castro. In the 30th Assembly District, which Rivas formerly represented but now extends much farther south, the five-way race is wide open, with four Democrats and one Republican in contention. And with Evan Low running to represent another district in Santa Clara County, the 28th Assembly District has hopefuls from two counties eying the open seat: Santa Cruzans Gail Pellerin, formerly the county clerk, and union organizer Joe Thompson. They’re on the ballot with Monte Sereno Councilmember Liz Lawler and Los Gatos Mayor Rob Rennie.
Two seats on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors are up for grabs, with no incumbents in either race. Nonprofit director Ami Chen Mills and Santa Cruz City Council members Justin Cummings and Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson are vying for the North County seat, while the South County race has drawn three officeholders: Cabrillo College trustee Felipe Hernandez, Santa Cruz County Board of Education trustee Ed Acosta, and Watsonville City Council’s Jimmy Dutra.
Congressional seats also saw some big shifts due to redistricting. Jimmy Panetta is still on the ballot here, but he’s running in the 19th Congressional District. And the 18th District underwent some big changes, with veteran U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren now representing a swath that stretches way down into the Salinas Valley.
Find a full list of candidates on the county election website, VotesCount.us. The site lists all the candidates in the running, and arguments for and against ballot measures can be found here. Once you get those ballots filled out, you don’t need to wait for Election Day. Find a list of ballot drop boxes and get it done today.
Want more information? Find information on statewide and congressional races on CalMatters.org. For local matters, Santa Cruz Local’s guide to the June 7 election provides nonpartisan information on the candidates running for supervisor in District 3 and District 4 and the five ballot measures. In addition to Measure D, there are two other countywide measures dealing with a disposable cup tax and a bump in the transient occupancy tax, as well as two measures in the City of Santa Cruz.
The More Things Change...
Obama said it not all that long ago, but it’s been true forever: Elections do have consequences. One of the consequences of the 2016 presidential election is playing out in the judicial branch of the United States government, which is set to strike down Roe v. Wade. Reporter Jonathan Vankin looks at what that could mean for abortion rights in California. Santa Cruz activists may find it disconcerting to be once again debating a woman’s right to choose. But that’s not the only 1970s-era issue that’s back in the spotlight. Arguments about nuclear power are also coming up again, as Vankin also reported on recently.
We’re still weeks away from an official ruling on Roe, but it’s already in the media due to a leak—or possibly three—from the perennially secretive SCOTUS. It’s always a little uncomfortable to peek at the powerful players pulling levers behind the curtain. Statewide news outlet CalMatters examines a stealthy California legislative procedure: the suspense file. This is where lawmakers “shelve proposals that are too expensive” or that are “controversial, opposed by powerful interest groups, or politically inconvenient.” Find links to these stories below.
Abortion Rights in California After SCOTUS Opinion
Abortion rights will remain protected, even expanded in California after the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Gov. Gavin Newsom vows after a leaked SCOTUS opinion reveals the court plans to abolish the right to choose.
Gus Trejo of the Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge at the Dream Inn recently launched an Iron Chef-style competition. Families and groups can book slots in the contest, in which teams will vie for the Iron Chef Title.
(05/23/2022) → Read the full Edible Monterey Bay report
Measure D is giving us all a headache. Part of the problem is perspective, 1st District Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manu Koenig writes. Our views are shaped by where we live.
(05/21/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
Candidates for the newly created State Assembly District 28 spoke at a Lookout-moderated forum, elaborating on who they are and why they’re the right person for this position.
(05/19/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
Peggy Dolgenos of Cruzio writes that her walk from downtown to the Westside recently improved. “I get to walk on the newly built rail trail! Lots of people use the trail, biking, walking, in wheelchairs, pushing strollers. And next to the trail, there’s room for a train. I hope to ride that train someday.”
(05/18/2022) Read this guest commentary on the Santa Cruz Works
On May 12, candidates for state Assembly District 28 and 3rd District Santa Cruz County supervisor turned out for a forum moderated by Lookout Santa Cruz’s Community Voices editor, Jody K. Biehl.
(05/18/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
Four Measure D proponents write in Lookout Santa Cruz’s Community Voices section: “Those against Measure D say they started the work to acquire the corridor and build a trail in 1987—35 years ago!”
(05/18/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
Proponents view the measure as an opportunity to use Santa Cruz County’s large tourism revenue stream to fund essential services, but some in the hospitality industry see the industry split as unfair.
(05/17/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
Curious community members attended an in-person forum in Watsonville’s Civic Plaza Community Center and also tuned in from home to listen to candidates from the 30th Assembly District and 4th District of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
(05/17/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report
Lookout Santa Cruz outlines differing opinions on the measure. Some see the potential change to a four-year directly elected mayor as a path to leadership that represents the whole community; others are too worried about the chosen redistricting maps to approve of the measure.
(05/16/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
The 2021–22 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury has released “Honoring Commitments to the Public.” The investigation looked back on 2018-19 grand jury panel reports, including those involving investigations into library user privacy issues, probation officer field safety and public defense.
(05/16/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report
