Political organizers across Santa Cruz County are hoping to draw large crowds this weekend for a fourth round of “No Kings” protests that will focus on getting people to vote in the November midterm elections.
The Trump presidency and Santa Cruz County
News and opinion coverage of reaction in Santa Cruz County to the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president, plus news from around California via Lookout’s content partners.
Posted inEducation
ICE arrests alarm California’s community colleges. How much can campus officials do?
California community colleges are trying to discourage immigration enforcement on campuses, but they can’t do much to bar U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from public spaces.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Trump administration sues California to block state from counting alleged noncitizen mail-in ballots
The Trump administration sued California election officials Thursday, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots for next month’s midterm elections from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until their status can be confirmed.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County Measure E: What to know about the proposed temporary half-cent sales tax
Santa Cruz County’s Measure E would impose a five-year, half-cent sales tax increase expected to raise about $27 million annually to help address a worsening budget outlook and potential losses in healthcare and other safety-net funding.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Sudden surge in ICE arrests empties streets in California’s San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is California’s agricultural heartland. Suddenly, it’s the focus of an immigration enforcement campaign that has communities on edge.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Our healthcare infrastructure is at risk of collapsing. Santa Cruz County must act now.
Pediatric health providers warn that federal and state healthcare cuts could put more than 21,000 Santa Cruz County residents at risk of losing Medi-Cal by 2028. Currently, 41.9% of local residents ages 0 to 20 are enrolled in Medi-Cal, making stable coverage critical for children and families. Here, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah and Nadia Al-Lami, pediatric medical director for Santa Cruz Community Health, insist that protecting children’s health means protecting the safety-net system they depend on. They advocate voting yes on Measure E and no on Proposition 44. They also offer valuable tips for those who fear losing health services.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How election deniers are using public records to sow doubt in California
California election skeptics filed dozens of public records requests. Some are soliciting donations from people who believe election results can’t be trusted.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why are out-of-state billionaires funding a California voter ID measure?
Republican megadonors are boosting California’s voter ID measure in the hopes its success, or failure, might reveal how similar measures could perform in more moderate states.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Say yes to Measure E: A temporary commitment to protect the community we share
Measure E supporters District 5 Santa Cruz County Supervisor Monica Martinez and Watsonville City Councilmember Maria Orozco urge county voters to approve a five-year, half-cent sales tax to protect essential health and safety-net services. They argue that federal cuts to Medi-Cal and CalFresh could leave thousands of local residents without healthcare and food assistance. The estimated $27 million raised annually would support healthcare, emergency services, behavioral health, food security and housing stability, they write. The authors say Measure E is a temporary bridge to help preserve a local healthcare system while local and state leaders search for longer-term solutions to federal cuts.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom signs new laws to rein in immigration agents as Trump’s deportation campaign escalates
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws Tuesday that aim to check federal agents during the Trump administration’s deportation program and improve conditions in detention centers. Several likely will be challenged in court.
