Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 461

May 30, 2024

Monterey County leaders warm to tax increase

SALINAS – In one sense, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors is one step closer to deciding how much of a tax increase voters will decide upon in November, but the devil remains in the details, and so do differing viewpoints.

Wednesday’s all-day board meeting was split between deciding on what direction to give county finance staff on a possible tax increase and department chiefs trying to coax more budget dollars from supervisors.

It was also punctuated by some two dozen organized members of the Service Employees International Union Local 521 in the supervisors’ chambers, many of whom addressed the board on what they described as a calamity from understaffing. At one point, there was a SEIU member orchestrating when the members should rise from their seats.

But it was a proposed tax increase that brought to light the differing priorities of supervisors. With the county facing increasing budget deficits over the next few fiscal years, elected officials are eyeing a pair of tax increases that would contribute to plugging the hole.

The forecasted deficits are pegged at $26.3 million for the coming fiscal year, $37.3 million in 2025-26 and $40.3 million by 2026-27, according to Ezequiel Vega, the assistant county administrative officer and the county’s budget director.

It seems that a sampling of voters was empathetic to the county’s budget woes, with 82% indicating they understood why a tax increase would be necessary and a majority would favor an increase of either the transient occupancy tax or sales tax, according to a poll commissioned by the county.

The transient occupancy tax is charged to visitors as part of their room charges. Increasing the hotel tax would not have an effect on residents of Monterey County.

A sales tax increase would generate far more revenue than a TOT increase. Some supervisors would like to see an increase in both. Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto told supervisors that she favors increasing both.

“We need to have the ability to bring basic services back to our county, so we need these monies,” Nieto said. “I think the iron is hot to strike.”

Sara LaBatt, a senior principal at polling firm EMC Research in Oakland, which was contracted by the county, told supervisors that a sampling of 600 Monterey County voters (an accuracy estimate of plus or minus four percentage points) was conducted in both English and Spanish. The polling split the two types of tax increases being considered – TOT and sales – in half so that 300 voters would consider the TOT increase and 300 would consider the sales tax option.

EMC’s data indicated roughly 60% of voters would favor tax increases. If told the benefits of the increase the percentage went up. If voters were told the negatives, the percentage went down. Still, more than half the voters favored the increase regardless of what benefits and negatives they were told.

The supervisorial districts in northern and southern parts of the county had the least favorable view of tax increases, while the central and coastal parts of the county showed a greater willingness, LaBatt’s data showed.

Of the various issues put in front of the polled voters, the highest number of 49%, said homelessness and housing affordability were of their greatest concern. The next closest was half that.

Supervisors seemed pleased with the polling, but it didn’t take long before rifts began to emerge over how much of an increase and who would be voting – all voters of Monterey County or only in the unincorporated parts.

Any tax increase would require four out of the five supervisors to approve it before it can be placed on the ballot.

Supervisor Luis Alejo was the first to suggest a higher tax on short-term rentals, which fall under the category of TOT. He noted that Santa Cruz County just increased tax on short-term rentals by 3%. Supervisor Glenn Church said that the 3% increase by the northern neighbor is being challenged in court. Alejo said it doesn’t mean the anti-tax group that filed the suit in Santa Cruz County will prevail in court.

Alejo also raised the specter of the so-called “Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act,” a November initiative which adds increased restrictions on the state and local agencies’ ability to generate revenues through taxes.

“With the state measure, we would be locked in, so that is a factor moving forward,” said Supervisor Wendy Root Askew.

One of the disagreements among supervisors was over who would vote – everyone in the county or just those living in the unincorporated areas. Any tax increase by the county would only apply to residents and businesses in the unincorporated areas; otherwise current city taxes would apply.

Alejo was adamant that everyone in the county should decide, saying that voters in Salinas, in his district, would be disenfranchised if not allowed to vote.

Supervisor Mary Adams, sensitive to a large portion of the county’s hospitality industry being in her district, said increasing the TOT would impact businesses in unincorporated areas like Big Sur. She said the area would risk losing small conferences.

Not surprisingly, supervisors on a split 3-2 vote approved giving the finance staff direction.

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Published on May 30, 2024 15:16

Latest Java Technologies and Trends: Exploring the Evolution of Java

Del Rey Oaks’ FORTAG segment breaks ground in celebratory ceremony

DEL REY OAKS – Ground was broken in a symbolic first step in the phase I construction of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project through Del Rey Oaks on Wednesday.

“It’s the work of all these people. That is what it takes to retrofit a region like ours with 30 miles of infrastructure enabling safe accessible active transportation and equitable access to open space, and that’s what we’re doing here today,” said Fred Watson, co-creator of the FORTAG idea, at the celebratory event.

This first 1.5-mile segment, in what is proposed to be a roughly 30-mile continuous paved trail connecting cities and unincorporated communities to educational and recreational areas, will encompass Canyon Del Rey Boulevard – State Route 218 – through the city of Del Rey Oaks and parts of the city of Seaside.

Along with Watson, Scott Waltz is the other half of the founders of FORTAG.

“Increasingly communities across California are embracing the benefits of active transportation,” said Waltz. “Fred and I are very proud to be working with (Transportation Agency for Monterey County) to support more folks going further by walking and biking.”

Waltz said the founder’s hope is that FORTAG will contribute to healthier, better connected and even more sustainable communities in Monterey County.

“This phase I segment will allow kids and families to safely cross (Highway) 218 to enjoy park and pond. It will provide a protected path for neighborhood elementary children to walk to school, Del Rey Oaks will gain an improved path through Work Memorial Park and onto the Fremont retail district and ultimately the trail will connect with bike routes chartered by both Monterey and Seaside, so that folks can safely ride the coastal parks and beaches.”

Watson said that it takes a tremendous amount of people to get on the same page, representing many organizations, to pull something like this off.

“That’s what has happened the last ten years, and looking around right now, it’s still happening,” he said.

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County – the lead agency on the project – Caltrans District 5, the city of Del Rey Oaks, the city of Seaside and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District hosted the ceremony outside the Del Rey Oaks City Hall.

“This is the largest project that our city will see, and has seen, in many decades,” said Del Rey Oaks Mayor Scott Donaldson. “It’s going to cost around $20 million and to kind of give you a perspective on that, that’s about four times our city’s annual budget and it’s roughly what Measure X generates on an annual basis. It’s a complex project involving many jurisdictions and it will take about two years to complete. But I’m confident that our partners will deliver what they’ve promised to the city.”

Donaldson acknowledged that there has been a lot emotion and energy associated with this project, “but now it’s time to move on to the construction phase.”

“I’m optimistic about the benefits that this project can bring to the city and the region and I remain cognizant of the challenges and concerns expressed by many residents,” said Donaldson. “But ultimately, I’m hopeful that this will be a welcomed addition to the city and one that we can all be proud of.”

Dr. Scott Waltz addresses the crowd at the ground breaking ceremony in Del Rey Oaks as Dr. Fred Watson listens on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (James Herrera/Monterey Herald)

The first phase portion of the FORTAG trail that passes through Del Rey Oaks will be a new 1.5-mile segment. The work in general comprises construction of the trail through Del Rey Oaks from Fremont Boulevard to Del Rey Woods Elementary School in Seaside, according to TAMC, including an underpass proposed under Canyon Del Rey Boulevard between Del Rey Oaks City Hall and the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve. A 12-foot wide raised pathway is to be constructed to connect trail users from the underpass to Carlton Drive at an accessible grade. Along Carlton Drive, the trail will consist of a new 12-foot wide multi-use sidewalk with a five-foot wide buffer on the west side of the road and will continue along the south side of Plumas Avenue to Del Rey Woods Elementary School.

Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway is part of a larger effort to connect communities in and around the former Fort Ord to each other and to education, employment, community and recreation centers. FORTAG is a proposed new paved regional active transportation route that will serve as a safe pedestrian and bicycle corridor connecting Seaside, Marina, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey and unincorporated community residents to Cal State University Monterey Bay, the Fort Ord National Monument and the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail.

FORTAG is proposed as an approximately 30-mile continuous 12-ft wide paved bicycle and pedestrian trail with an open-space buffer on both sides. FORTAG will connect to the existing Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail and will provide connections to unpaved trails in the Fort Ord National Monument. The northern loop of FORTAG encircles Marina, following a 13 mile route that includes 3 miles of the existing Coastal Rec Trail. The southern loop of FORTAG encircles Seaside and bisects Del Rey Oaks, following a 15 mile route that includes 4 miles of the existing coastal trail system. The route includes spurs connecting with existing and planned bike/pedestrian infrastructure. Several sections of the paved trail will link to nearby unpaved trails.

The ceremony featured guest speakers including TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck, TAMC Board Vice Chair and city of Carmel Mayor Dave Potter, city of Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby and Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Board President Kevin Raskoff.

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Published on May 30, 2024 15:08

Monterey County EMS performance remains high

SALINAS – Monterey County’s emergency medical system has maintained top response times despite increased call volumes and funding challenges, according to a recent report provided to county elected officials.

The 47-page annual report by the county’s Emergency Medical Services agency to the Board of Supervisors highlighted areas of emergency response during the 2023 fiscal year.

While EMS is a single agency – a bureau of the Monterey County Health Department – its goal in ensuring top emergency care includes coordinating and overseeing pre-hospital emergency care with more than 40 individual agencies, including ground and air ambulance, law enforcement, fire departments and the four hospitals in the county.

Like many county departments, EMS is facing revenue challenges, particularly in a pair of funding sources that have not kept up with escalating costs.

“In our most recent report, we highlighted the funding challenges faced by the EMS Agency as revenue from sources such as the CSA-74 special tax and the Maddy Fund have failed to keep pace with the rising costs of providing services,” wrote Teresa Rios, the EMS bureau chief.

The CSA-74 is a parcel tax and the Maddy Fund is revenue collected from traffic fines that compensates health care providers for emergency medical services provided to people who are uninsured and cannot afford to pay for emergency care.

One of the highlights during 2023 is the establishment of a program addressing the escalating number of opiate overdoses in the county. The Buprenorphine Program is a collaboration with Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. Buprenorphine is a drug that now can be administered by paramedics that counters serious opiate withdrawal symptoms. The program goes hand in hand with the use of naloxone – brand name Narcan – that reverses the effects of an opiate overdose.

EMS has experienced an uptick in call volumes, going from 31,740 in 2021 to 35,293 last year. Rios, in an email interview with the Herald, said the increased volumes could be the result of several factors. Population growth could have increased the numbers, but so could the return to some degree of normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A gradual return of more tourists and special events after the pandemic may also contribute to the increases,” Rios said.

Despite those increased call volumes, ambulance response times have kept above the 90% threshold established by EMS. The consensus of emergency response times among medical institutions and the National Institutes of Health is eight minutes.

The use of automated external defibrillators for cardiac arrest got a boost in 2023 when EMS joined a nonprofit network called the PulsePoint Registry. PulsePoint’s free website and smartphone app provide the public, first responders and 911 dispatchers with the exact location of the closest AED to the scene of a cardiac arrest, improving the likelihood of patient survival.

EMS is the lead agency coordinating medical response in the event of disasters or mass casualty incidents. The system is also responsible for designation and oversight of specialty care centers for three types of medical emergencies – trauma, stroke and what’s called ST elevation myocardial infarction, which is a particular type of heart attack where a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, causing death to the part of the heart muscle it feeds.

For example, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley Health Medical Center have accreditations as Primary Stroke Centers, according to their websites. Natividad Medical Center is the only accredited trauma center in the county, designated as a Level II facility. The only difference between a Level I and a Level II trauma centers is Level I facilities have research arms. Otherwise, their capabilities are identical.

EMS also provides initial certification and renewal of certification for emergency medical technicians, and accreditations for paramedics to be employed in Monterey County.

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Published on May 30, 2024 14:18

NorCal Division IV softball semifinals: Amendola hurls Alvarez into title game

SALINAS — For a program that elected not to partake in the state softball tournament last season, and whose coach had mixed emotions about it this spring, Alvarez has added another milestone to its year.

On the heels of their record third straight Central Coast Section divisional softball title, the Eagles will play for a State Northern California Division IV title on Saturday.

Dani Amendola continued her dominance in the circle, tossing her third straight shutout and fourth in the postseason Thursday in Alvarez’s 1-0 win over Las Plumas of Oroville.

“The only reason I don’t like it is because girls are committed to graduation,” Alvarez coach Andy Meza said. “It is good for the girls to get this experience, joy and feeling.”

As a result, the top-seeded Eagles, who needed to win a play-in game just to ensure a spot in the postseason, will host the East Nicolaus-St. Helena winner on Saturday at a time yet to be determined.

The semifinal game was bumped up to 11 a.m. instead of its regularly scheduled 4 p.m. start to accommodate Alvarez, who had four players graduating at 2:30 p.m.

“I felt bad for the other school,” Meza said. “They drove five hours to get here to play us.”

The softball team becomes the second program at Alvarez to play for a State Northern California title, as the girls soccer team reached the NorCal title game last winter before falling 2-1 in the Division IV finals.

The Eagles (19-12) will go into the game riding an eight-game winning streak, with Amendola blanking five of those opponents, having allowed five runs in her last 53 innings of work.

“Our defense has Dani’s back,” Meza said. “The defense is believing in themselves and holding our ground. The championships are great. But to see these girls gain that confidence, that’s the best feeling.”

Much like Alvarez’s 1-0 win in the CCS Division III title game against Santa Teresa, it pushed across a run with aggressive base running in the third inning, when Lizbeth Ramirez stole third and scored on an error.

Ramirez, who scored the only run in the CCS title game as well, singled to open the inning before being sacrificed to second base. Meza called for a delayed steal, in which Ramirez beat the overthrow.

“I didn’t know if one run would hold up,” Meza said. “I was scared. The other team had some big hitters. There pitcher was just as phenomenal.”

Amendola was slightly better, handcuffing Las Plumas on six hits, while striking out 13 to earn her 18th win of the season. The junior hurler has 42 strikeouts in 27 innings of work in the postseason.

Las Plumas (23-6) came into the game as the No. 4 seed, opening the tournament with a 2-1 win over West Valley. Alvarez had a first round bye.

The Eagles, who opened the year with a school record nine straight wins before dropping 12 of their next 14 games, can match that number with a win in the title game.

Injuries depleted Alvarez in the middle of the season, as it sat at 2-9 in the Gabilan Division before closing the regular season with three straight wins to earn a play-in game invitation.

The Eagles became just the second softball program in the county to win three straight or more CCS titles. Notre Dame won a state record nine straight section titles from 1998-2006.

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Published on May 30, 2024 13:33

Report: Biden finalizing US-Mexico border migrant limit reforms

By Colleen Long and Seung Min Kim | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The White House is finalizing plans for a U.S.-Mexico border clampdown that would shut off asylum requests and automatically deny entrance to migrants once the number of people encountered by American border officials exceeded a new daily threshold, with President Joe Biden expected to sign an executive order as early as Tuesday, according to four people familiar with the matter.

The president has been weighing additional executive action since the collapse of a bipartisan border bill earlier this year. The number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border has declined for months, partly because of a stepped-up effort by Mexico. Still, immigration remains a top concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November and Republicans are eager to hammer Biden on the issue.

The Democratic administration’s effort would aim to head off any potential spike in crossings that could occur later in the year, as the fall election draws closer, when the weather cools and numbers tend to rise, two of the people. They were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing discussions and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The move would allow Biden, whose administration has taken smaller steps in recent weeks to discourage migration and speed up asylum processing, to say he has done all he can do to control the border numbers without help from Congress.

The talks were still fluid and the people stressed that no final decisions had been made.

The restrictions being considered are an aggressive attempt to ease the nation’s overwhelmed asylum system, along with a new effort to speed up the cases of migrants already in America and another meant to quicken processing for migrants with criminal records or those who would otherwise be eventually deemed ineligible for asylum in the United States.

The people told the AP that the administration was weighing some of the policies directly from a stalled bipartisan Senate border deal, including capping the number of encounters at an average of 4,000 per day over a week and whether that limit would include asylum-seekers coming to the border with appointments through U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app. Right now, there are roughly 1,450 such appointments per day.

Two of the people said one option is that migrants who arrive after the border reaches a certain threshold could be removed automatically in a process similar to deportation and would not be able to return easily. Migrants were able to more easily return to the border if they were expelled under the pandemic-era policy known as Title 42. Under that arrangement, Mexico agreed to take back some non-Mexican nationalities, including migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Migrants, especially families, claiming asylum at the southern border are generally released into the U.S. to wait out their cases. But there are more than 2 million pending immigration court cases, and some people wait years for a court date while they live in limbo in the U.S.

Anyone can ask for asylum regardless of whether they arrive illegally at the border, but U.S. officials are increasingly pushing migrants to make appointments, use a legal pathway that avoids the costly and dangerous journey, or stay where they are and apply through outposts in Colombia, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

The Biden administration has grown ever more conservative on border issues as the president faces ceaseless criticism from Republicans and there are large numbers of migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico who are not easily returned, especially as global displacement grows from war, climate change and more.

The immigration authority that the administration has been looking to use is outlined in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It gives a president broad leeway to block entry of certain immigrants into the U.S. if it would be “detrimental” to the U.S. national interest.

Senate Republicans last week again blocked a bill that would have enshrined some of the same efforts into law. The vote was meant to underscore GOP resistance to the proposal even as Republicans have clamored for more restrictions and argued that Biden has not done enough to stem the flow of migrants entering into the U.S.

The bipartisan bill had been negotiated for months and appeared, for a moment anyway, to be heading toward passage. It was even endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council and its president Brandon Judd, an avowed supporter of Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. But Trump, concerned about handing Democrats an election-year win, called on Republicans to tank it, and they did.

White House officials did not confirm the expected executive order.

White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said the administration “continues to explore a series of policy options and we remain committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.”

“While congressional Republicans chose to stand in the way of additional border enforcement, President Biden will not stop fighting to deliver the resources that border and immigration personnel need to secure our border,” he said.

Congress this year approved funding for a total of 41,500 detention beds and increased money for immigration enforcement and removal operations by $1.2 billion over what the White House had initially requested. That included $106 million in more funding for programs that monitor immigrants in the asylum system through phone apps and ankle bracelets, rather than through detention.

Those increases, negotiated after the collapse of the bipartisan deal, could pave the way for the administration to ratchet up immigration enforcement.

Yet unlike legislative action that is binding, anything Biden does through executive action can be challenged in the courts, and will almost certainly be, so it not clear whether — or if — the clampdown on asylum would begin. The administration was weighing other actions too, including faster and tougher enforcement of the asylum process.

The administration has generally paired proposed crackdowns with an expansion of legal paths elsewhere and was also planning to do so in the future, but not at the same time the new restrictions were announced, the people said.

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

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Published on May 30, 2024 13:10

The newest election battlefield for abortion: State supreme courts

Faith E. Pinho | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

As presidential candidates and state legislators campaign over the future of abortion in America, elections for the third branch of government have largely escaped scrutiny on the issue.

Until now.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, elections for state supreme court justices have become a new political frontier in the abortion fight, with interest groups pouring unusual amounts of money into typically little-known races.

An unprecedented $100.8 million was spent on state justice races in the election cycle when the 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Funding from the right and left is now about equal, the Brennan Center reported, and the current election cycle is expected to set a record for the greatest amount of money spent on state supreme court elections.

“Whether we like it or not, big spending and issue campaigning in state judicial races are here to stay,” said Michael Milov-Cordoba, counsel for the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan think tank on justice and policy.

Last week, the Planned Parenthood Votes super PAC and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee announced they would invest $5 million on state supreme court races “to protect democracy and reproductive rights.”

“We are in the fight of our lives to protect and restore our fundamental freedoms — and our courts are the front lines,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and chief executive of the affiliated Planned Parenthood Action Fund, in a statement.

Eighty supreme court seats in 33 states will be on the ballot in November. Some justices will run against opponents (abortion was an issue in such an election this month in Georgia). Other incumbent justices face retention votes.

Typically, retention elections fly by unnoticed with little campaigning or media attention. But in the swing state of Arizona, two justices up for retention — Kathryn Hackett King and Clint Bolick — sided with the majority that decided the state’s near-total abortion ban from 1864 superseded the state’s 2022 law against abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Legislators rushed to repeal the 1864 law in a narrow vote, but a group called Progress Arizona is targeting Bolick and King with a campaign to vote them out.

“Usually I would never put a dime on betting in favor of someone losing a retention election,” Rebecca Gill, associate professor of politics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said of the Arizona justices’ chances. “But in this one, I’m actually kind of thinking it’s a little bit more plausible.”

If voters decide not to retain a justice, Gov. Katie Hobbs will decide the replacement — the first time in years that a Democratic governor in Arizona would make an appointment to the state’s highest court.

Arizona’s ballot also is likely to have a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion access, which could drive more voters to the polls.

“Some of these culture war cases are just easier to understand for most people,” said Mary Ziegler, a UC Davis law professor and author of “Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present.” “There’s also a history in the United States of questions related to sex and gender being really foundational and polarizing.”

Since the 2022 midterm election, Democrats have hammered abortion as a major issue to drive angry voters to the polls. That has become especially true in 2024.

“Let’s face it, I mean, Democrats aren’t clamoring to be able to cast a vote for Joe Biden,” Gill said. “Enthusiasm isn’t really that high, and so by being able to get those people there, using these abortion provisions on the ballot, it can change the shape of the electorate for that cycle.”

Activism and money for state supreme court seats has historically come from the right, experts say. A prime example: In 2010, conservatives furious over the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling to allow same-sex marriage targeted three justices up for retention. All three were booted from the court.

The growing presence of cash in state supreme court races may affect which judges run for election, Gill said.

“A lot of judges tend not to be really good at [fundraising], because it really is out of character for how most lawyers are trained,” Gill said. “People who would be put off by the idea of having to raise money, even if it’s at arm’s length, are not running for these positions anymore. So changes in the way the elections work will absolutely change the people who will run.”

Some court watchers worry the increased attention on state judicial races could erode the impartiality of the courts. The Brennan Center supports a merit process for selecting new justices, Milov-Cordoba said, with long terms “to avoid some of the politicization that comes with judicial elections.”

Justices are still bound by law, of course, and cannot unilaterally make policy changes. Bolick, one of the Arizona justices vying to keep their seats in November, vociferously defended his vote on the abortion decision in an Arizona Republic op-ed last week, railing against his opponents for what he saw as their attack on an independent judiciary.

“They claim the abortion decision reflected the court majority’s policy preferences rather than the law. Nonsense,” he wrote. “Serious commentators, liberal and conservative, who actually read the decision (which I encourage voters to do), agree it is solidly grounded in law.”

Some legal scholars say that politics has always been part of the judicial branch, and that increased attention raises awareness of the crucial role judges play in government.

“All judges are representatives, even though we don’t like to think of them as that,” said Todd Curry, associate professor of politics at the University of Texas at El Paso. “Traditionally, there’d been kind of a general concern, stemming from the National Bar Assn. — you didn’t really campaign [for judicial seats]. Now, we’re definitely seeing judges going, ‘OK, in order to do this, I have to be a representative. I have to actually campaign on issues.’”

John Barrow, a former Democratic congressman, made abortion the center of his recent unsuccessful bid to replace Justice Andrew Pinson on the Georgia Supreme Court.

Georgia’s conservative Gov. Brian Kemp spent $500,000 to support Pinson’s campaign. Pinson had previously defended the state’s abortion limitations while serving as the state’s solicitor general.

Barrow, who sometimes wore a pink T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Empowering women” on the campaign trail, argued that Georgia’s constitution protects access to abortion. A lawsuit challenging a 2019 law against abortions once a “heartbeat” — actually a flutter of embryonic cardiac cell activity — can be detected is winding its way through the Georgia court system, and could reach the state Supreme Court.

“In this case, you do have a heartbeat law sitting in the court, and John Barrow specifically saying, the reason that I am running is to have abortion on demand in Georgia,” said Cole Muzio, president of Frontline Policy Action, a conservative political action committee in Georgia that has endorsed Pinson. “And that’s something that legislative or statewide candidates may say, but it’s not something judges are in any realm supposed to say.”

Barrow’s explicit stance on abortion moved Katherine Wertheim, a fundraising consultant in Ventura, to write postcards for the candidate from California. A registered Democrat, Wertheim said she prefers judicial candidates to be open about where they stand, so people can make informed decisions on how to vote.

“It’s a lovely idea to think that justices don’t make up their minds until [seeing] a case,” she said, adding, “I would love to return back to a world where I could believe that justices would be nonpartisan. … But we’re not living in that charming world anymore. And so yes, I think it’s perfectly OK for a candidate to say who he is and how he will vote.”

A justice’s position or party is not always obvious to voters. Some states, like Michigan, don’t publish their party affiliations on the ballot.

Like nearby Ohio, Michigan has a contested high court election in the fall. Both courts now have narrow party majorities. In Michigan, where two seats are up in November, four out of seven justices were nominated by Democrats. Ohio, where Republicans hold the majority, has three seats on the ballot.

Both states voted to protect abortion access in their state constitutions in the last two years, and cases related to the abortion laws are working their way through the courts.

Florida’s Supreme Court has two seats at play after a banner year for abortion, too. The state court’s recent ruling led to a six-week abortion ban taking effect — but it also allowed for a ballot measure that would protect abortion access.

Wisconsin is perhaps the most notable example in recent history of abortion animating a state supreme court race. Liberal Janet Protasiewicz faced the conservative Dan Kelly, a former state justice. Whoever won would join the court in ruling on the state’s 1849 abortion ban.

Donors on both sides flooded the state with a total of $51 million — more than double the cost of any past election for a state Supreme Court seat, according to the Brennan Center. When Protasiewicz won last April, she flipped the court to a Democratic majority. The 1849 law has yet to come before the court.

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Published on May 30, 2024 11:19

Horoscopes May 30, 2024: Idina Menzel, come out on top

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jennifer Winget, 39; Rory Bushfield, 41; Idina Menzel, 53; Wynonna Judd, 60.

Happy Birthday: Preparation will be your saving grace. Research, test your ideas thoroughly and proceed when you are satisfied that you can follow through with your plans. Refuse to let the little things get to you or someone you work alongside test your patience. A positive attitude will help you maintain your status quo and come out on top whenever someone challenges you. Don’t let anyone alter your confidence. Your numbers are 4, 9, 18, 22, 29, 33, 40.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Think before sharing your thoughts. Focus on completing things on time and moving on to more enjoyable pastimes. Take time to do something that builds confidence and a healthy, positive attitude that attracts upbeat encounters with interesting people. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Call out to people who will pitch in and help implement changes that make a difference to your community. Be careful not to upset someone you love. A kind gesture will help reverse a misunderstanding. An innovative idea will encourage you to make an unexpected choice. 4 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Watch, observe and change only what’s necessary. Aim for stability and security, and stop worrying about impressing others. Be true to yourself and stay fixed on what’s important to you. Listen to your inner voice and initiate the changes that offer you the freedom to follow your heart. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Embrace change. Implement new pastimes, friendships and fresh starts into your life, and learn from the experience. The people you meet and the conversations you have will set you free and encourage you to express yourself more and interact with people who make you feel alive. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Put the wheels in motion. Take advantage of any chance you get to explore new possibilities. Attend functions that look promising, and don’t be shy. Introduce yourself to people you feel drawn to; something interesting will transpire. Protect against scams and avoid overspending. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Evaluate whatever situation you find yourself in and do whatever is necessary to sidestep situations that can make you look bad or put you in jeopardy. By being a good listener, you’ll avoid being misinterpreted or put in an awkward position. Learn from experience. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Travel, entertainment and hobbies are favored. Get involved in networking functions or conferences that can open your eyes to a host of options to fill your free time or enhance something you want to pursue. You’ll encounter someone who intrigues you if you socialize. Romance is favored. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll see things differently regarding your connections with others. Gravitate toward like-minded people who can offer mental stimulation and help point you in the right direction. Someone you haven’t seen in a while will do something that unexpectedly surprises you. 5 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be honest regarding your feelings. Distance yourself from anyone or anything that can jeopardize your reputation. Don’t believe gossip; go directly to the source and make decisions that align with your morals and ethics. Don’t neglect domestic issues or living conditions that need attention. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Tidy up your surroundings, set a budget and consider the changes that offer comfort and convenience. Don’t let anger set in when your energy is better spent on home improvements and taking better care of what and who are important to you. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be open about how you feel and what you intend to do next. Don’t give in to emotional manipulation or feel you must put up with demands that go against your beliefs to please someone. Choose friends you are in sync with. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Embrace what brings you joy. Take responsibility for your happiness, and follow through with a pursuit that boosts your morale and enthusiasm. Live life your way and follow through with your plans, and you will discover the road to victory. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are intelligent, disciplined and intuitive. You are friendly and reactive.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Published on May 30, 2024 03:01

May 29, 2024

Pro Soccer: Depleted Union earn scoreless draw with Charleston

SEASIDE – The month of May will be one to put in the rear-view mirror for Monterey Bay F.C. Winless in six matches equals its worst month in franchise history.

Yet, despite a 0-4-2 mark — including a loss in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — if the season ended today, the Union would be playoff bound, closing the month Wednesday with a scoreless draw with defending league champion Charleston.

While the draw stretched the Union’s winless streak in the United Soccer League Championship to six matches, they currently sit in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with 16 points at 4-5-4.

Injuries have crippled the Union over the last month, as six players sat out their showdown with the defending USL champions, who came into the match 8-1-3 and in command of the Eastern Conference, with a league best 28 points.

The Battery have been in a mini slump since opening the season unbeaten in their first 11 matches, dropping their first USL match last week to El Paso, as well as falling in the U.S. Open Cup to Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United.

Monterey Bay F.C. played the match without its leading scorer in Tristan Trager and Chase Boone, who led the team in goals in its first season in 2022.

Not surprisingly, their offensive struggles against the league’s top ranked team continued. The Union have produced just one goal in their last three matches. Salvaging a tie, however, gives them a 2-1-3 record on the pitch at Cardinale Stadium.

Arguably the most challenging portion of the season continues for Monterey Bay F.C., who will host Western Conference leader New Mexico United on Sunday, before hosting defending Western Conference champion Sacramento on June 9.

One of the Union’s losses during their seven-game winless streak, which dates back to April 27, came at Sacramento in the U.S. Open Cup, where they were beaten 2-0.

Before injuries riddled Monterey Bay F.C., it had gotten off to its best start in its three-year existence at 4-1-2, even holding the Western Conference lead for about two hours.

Goalie Antony Siaha picked up his third shutout between the pipes for the Union.

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Published on May 29, 2024 21:35

CIF State boys golf: Stevenson finishes fourth in the state

SAN GABRIEL — A pair of obstacles that had stood in Stevenson’s path for the last decade were cleared. More hurdles remain, such as gaining experience on high school golf’s biggest stage.

For four of the six members of the Pirates, lessons were learned Wednesday, valuable ones that the fab four will take with them into next spring.

A week after capturing their first Northern California team title since 2000, the Pirates finished fourth as a team at the CIF State golf championships at San Gabriel Country Club.

“We will have a different mindset and different emotions next year,” said Steven Lai, who finished third as an individual. “There were a lot nerves today, anxiety. We’ll feel more confident.”

Making its first state appearance as a team since winning it all in 2013 — Stevenson finished 14 strokes behind state champion Torrey Pines of San Diego.

“This experience is invaluable going forward,” Stevenson coach Justin Bates said. “This is the same group that came up short at NorCal’s the last two years. Now that we’ve gotten a taste of state, the conversation was ‘lets get back and win it’.”

Next year’s state championships will be held at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.

Owners of 14 straight Gabilan Division titles, the Pirates defended their Central Coast Section title two weeks ago by shooting 11-under as a team in posting a 23-stroke win — their 16th CCS golf championship.

The momentum generated from the performance continued at the Northern California finals, when Stevenson won its first title in 24 years, defeating two-time reigning state champion De La Salle in the process.

“We’ve cleared two hurdles,” Bates said. “There are so many variables. It’s impossible to shoot what we did at CCS each week. It’s impossible to replicate similar scores day in and day out. Torrey Pines shot 17-under last week.”

Torrey Pines finished six strokes over on Wednesday with just one player shooting under par, yet put together a team effort that catapulted them to a six-stroke win over runner-up De La Salle.

“We were here to win,” Bates insisted. “Of course, it’s never easy to end a season on a loss. But to finish in the top four, we feel good about the journey we’ve been on. We’ve accomplished a lot.”

The anxiety of state offered a different setting. Mistakes were magnified by the moment. Other than Luke Brandler, no other member of the Pirates had experience competing in a state championship.

“It’s the most intense tournament these guys have been in,” Bates said. “It’s hard. With the type of course we were playing on, you can’t miss the fairways. The rough is long and it will grab your club. Chances of bogeys were high.”

Brandler, who shot a course record 9-under two weeks at the CCS finals at Laguna Seca, finished 3-over, with Lai carding a 3-under to finish in a tie for third.

“I just hit some good shots,” said Lai, who is just a junior. “Every club was working. My driver was pretty good. It helped me get on the fairways. I had some nice approaches.”

Lai was 3-under after the front nine with three birdies. After a bogey on the 12th hole, he responded with a pair of birdies to drop to 4-under with four holes remaining.

“The two holes that I bogeyed (12 and 17) were challenging,” Lai said. “I was just playing for the team. You can kind of tell after the first hole what kind of day it’s going to be. When I make a par on the first hole, it’s a good start for me.”

Lai is the highest individual finisher for Stevenson since Seb Crampton finished in a tie for fifth at 1-under in 2013.

“Steven has come so far as a golfer since his first year,” Bates said. “To finish third at state under the most extreme pressure is a testament to the type of golfer he has become.”

Brandler and Lai will be back next year, along with Johshveer Chadha (76) and Calvin Etcheverry (79), with Northern California team medalist Adam Rohizam (78) and Andrew Doll (83) graduating.

“I think we’re the measuring stick for the challenges of what these courses are,” Bates said. “Even when we struggle, we are always in the mix. The boys are grinders.”

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Published on May 29, 2024 15:47

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