Santa Barbara News-Press: October 31, 2022

Spooky

natural Cafe to close State St. location

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Natural Cafe owner Kelly Brown has announced that, after 30 years of running his restaurant at 508 State St. he is closing the eatery because of problems with increasingly aggressive homeless people, a proliferation of rats resulting from the downtown parklets and speeding bicyclists and skateboarders.

The Natural Cafe, a Santa Barbara-based chain, will continue to operate its restaurants on Hitchcock Way and at the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta.

Mr. Brown announced his plans to close his restaurant on lower State Street in a letter to his landlord, Jim Knell and Sima Management

explaining why he is not renewing his lease.

“I am writing to inform you that after 30 years, The Natural Cafe on State Street is closing it’s doors,” he wrote. “Although we have been dealing with the same issues since the day we opened, things have taken an extreme turn for the worse the last few years.

“Homelessness, whether its guest-staff interaction or aggressive panhandling, has always been challenging,’ he said, “but it has now turned into straight up criminality. Consuming alcohol and drugs in public, using planters for toilets, camping in empty storefronts or locking themselves in our bathrooms and showering, sleeping and using drugs is an everyday occurrence,”

In addition, Mr. Brown cited a “rat/vermin

problem, which starts with the city and their lack of any program to address this has, in the last few years, become intolerable.

“Look under any parklet and you will find rats nests. Food is just falling on them from above,” he said.

He also noted the problem with bicyclists and skateboarders speeding down the closed street, running stop signs “and putting themselves and all pedestrians at constant risk.”

All of these issues have become exacerbated by COVID and the parklets, he said.

“Not sure why you call them parklets. For the most part, it’s cheap looking, trashy 2 x 4 wood structures that greatly diminish what

Efforts grow to save trees

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Community Association for the Modoc Preserve held a protest rally over the weekend, ahead of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors vote on the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Modoc Multi-Use Path.

Santa Barbara County is considering removing trees to allow for a multiuse path, which would be used by bicyclists along Modoc Road. But as of Sunday morning, CAMP had collected nearly 4,900 signatures in support of preserving the popular trees.

On Saturday, “people gathered on Modoc Road with their homemade signs, saying things like ‘Preserve the Preserve’ and ‘Save the Trees,’”

CAMP volunteer Eva Inbar told the News-Press. “Cars driving by honked in approval, and people walking by stopped to chat. We were in high spirits, feeling like David fighting Goliath.”

About three dozen people attended the rally, which took place at the intersection of Modoc Road and East Encore Drive. (The area is outside Santa Barbara city limits.)

“We were able to educate a few cyclists that stopped by,” CAMP cofounder Warren Thomas told the NewsPress. “It seemed like seven out of 10 were positive, a lot of thumbs up. It seems like they appreciate what we are doing.

“There are hundreds of comments on our petition, and dozens of those

L.A., L.A. County buy into guaranteed income movement

By ELYSE APEL and TOM GANTERT THE CENTER SQUARE

Center Square)

Following a national trend, Los Angeles and Los Angeles County have embraced the popular guaranteed income concept to combat poverty by offering low-income residents no-stringsattached money.

city of Los Angeles offers a guaranteed income program to 3,200 participants chosen at random to receive $1,000 per month for 12 months. Los Angeles County has responded with two guaranteed programs of its own.

The county’s pilot guaranteed income program involves 1,000 participants who will receive $1,000 monthly payments for three years. The budget is $16.3 million, and the county will use federal COVID-19 relief money to pay for the program, according to Los Angeles County. The program began in August.

On Oct. 12, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said the county was starting a second guaranteed income program for 300 people between the ages of 18 and 24 who are already receiving employment services through the county. Those 300 randomly selected youth will receive $1,000 a month in guaranteed income for 36 months, according to a news release.

Last year, the city of Los Angeles launched the largest guaranteed basic income program called BIG:LEAP. According to its website, this program provides “unconditional” $1,000 monthly payments to approximately 3,200 individuals for 12 months.

Curren Price Jr., a Los Angeles city council member, said the program will be “the largest guaranteed income economic assistance pilot program in our nation’s history.”

The program will cost the city almost $40 million.

The people targeted in the BIG:LEAP program must be 18 or older and living under the federal poverty line. They also must either be pregnant or have at least one child.

The initial data from this program was recently released in a report from the Mayors for Guaranteed Income, a group of mayors from around the nation promoting guaranteed income programs.

The data shows that 34.94% was spent on food and groceries, 34.23% on retail sales and services, and 11.91% on transportation.

According to another report, 80% of the participants are female, and 20% are male.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a member of Mayors for Guaranteed Income, said in a news release that the BIG:LEAP program “is a small but steady investment in a simple concept: When you provide resources to families that are struggling, it can give them the breathing room to realize goals that many of us are fortunate enough to take for granted.”

The trend toward guaranteed income programs goes far beyond Los Angeles, with Mayors for Guaranteed Income reporting that more than 44 cities have already implemented pilot programs.

The mayor’s office and the BIG:LEAP program did not respond to requests for comment.

Guaranteed income programs could work if they replace the network of other safety net social programs, according to some in academia. Antony Davies, an associate professor of economics at Duquesne University, previously told The Center Square that he was less enthusiastic about a guaranteed income approach to addressing poverty if it is just yet another government subsidy program. Davies said guaranteed income programs could be effective if they replace the bevy of other duplicative bureaucracies already in place in government social programs.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Natural Cafe owner Kelly Brown cited problems with the homeless population, rats and speeding bicyclists and skateboarders as reasons for closing the State Street eatery.

Please see CAFE on A4

CAMP holds Modoc Road rally ahead of vote by Board of Supervisors

Chelsea Beach, left, and a fellow resident hold signs in support of Modoc Road trees.

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Warren Thomas holds up a sign showing the number of people who signed a petition supporting the preservation of trees that could be removed along Modoc Road for a multi-use path.

Please see MODOC on A2

News-Press announces its election endorsements

U.S. Senate/Partial Term: Mark Meuser.

U.S. Senate/Full Term: Mark Meuser.

U.S. House Representative, District 24: Dr. Brad Allen.

STATE

Governor: Sen. Brian Dahle.

Lieutenant Governor: Angela Underwood Jacobs.

Secretary of State: Rob Bernosky.

Controller: Lanhee Chen.

State Treasurer: Jack Guerrero.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Lance Christensen.

Attorney General: Nathan Hochman.

Insurance Commissioner: Robert Howell. State Board of Equalization, 2nd District: Peter Coe Verbica.

Dirt bike rider rescued after crash

LOS PADRES NATIONAL

FOREST - A Santa Barbara County/Air Support Unit helicopter performed a hoist rescue of a 24-year-old male

State Assembly, District 37: Mike Stoker.

SCHOOL BOARDS

Santa Barbara County Board of Education, Trustee Area 1: Rosanne Crawford.

Santa Barbara Community College District, Trustee Area 1: Debi Stoker.

Santa Barbara Community College District, Trustee Area 5: Sharon Salvador-Jegottka.

Santa Barbara Unified School District, Trustee Area 1: Efigenia Banales.

Santa Barbara Unified School District,

who was injured in a dirt bike motorcycle crash Sunday 10 miles from the Upper Oso Campground in Los Padres National Forest.

The victim was treated and stabilized by Santa Barbara County Fire Department paramedics before being flown to Santa Barbara Airport and then taken by ambulance with moderate injuries to Santa

Trustee Area 4: Phebe Mansur.

Goleta Union School District, Trustee Area

1: Caroline Abate. Goleta Union School District, Trustee Area

3: Christy Lozano. Lompoc Unified School District: To be announced.

SPECIAL DISTRICT

Goleta Water District, District 2: Greg S. Hammel.

CITY COUNCIL RACES

Carpinteria City Council, Trustee Area 1: Patty Boyd (write in). Lompoc Mayor: Jim Mosby.

Barbara Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara County Fire officials said.

Grass fire extinguished near Los Olivos

LOS OLIVOS - Santa Barbara

County firefighters extinguished a 2- to 3-acre grass fire Sunday at the SYV Recycling and Transfer Station near Los Olivos. The cause is under investigation. The fire spread from debris that was on fire at the facility, 4004 Foxen Canyon Road, north of Los Olivos.

- Neil Hartstein

‘There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm from the neighborhood’

MODOC

Continued from Page A1

comments are from cyclists who ride Modoc Road everyday,” Mr. Thomas said.

Cyclists have indicated that they have never felt unsafe and actually look forward to that section where the lanes are wider, there is shade and a low accident rate, according to Mr. Thomas.

“An equal number of vehicles that drove past our rally were supportive,” said Mr. Thomas.

Ms. Inbar agreed that Saturday’s rally went well.

“These events are always fun,” she told the News-Press. “It is very much fun to hang out with the neighbors and wave signs. People support us as we raise awareness, and people love us with our handpainted signs.

“With the vote coming up, it draws attention to it one more time that we are still here,” she said. “It was kind of festive. We were very upbeat and are hoping for the best as we go into the vote on Tuesday. These are really lovely people coming out with handmade signs. They are very enthusiastic and into it. ”

Mr. Thomas described the rally as upbeat and noted two special guests stopped by, News-Press Co-Publishers

Wendy McCaw and Arthur von Wiesenberger. “They were supportive and up to date on ins and outs of the issue and (the details) which changes by the day.

“There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm from the neighborhood and the folks that live in neighborhoods that line the preserve, are as committed, if not

more than committed, as when we first heard of what was proposed,”

Mr. Thomas said. “There was lots of conversation with the elderly folks that drove by. One couldn’t even get out of the car, but wanted to give a statement. He knows the history and what’s happening with the county is exacerbating.”

Ms. Inbar said CAMP members

will be at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors, wearing their CAMP T-shirts.

“We don’t quite know what to expect,” Ms. Inbar said. “We are taken aback by the quality of MND and response to the comments. How they could submit that to the Board of Supervisors is beyond me.”

Mr. Thomas expressed CAMP’s determination to save the trees.

“The county wants to dismiss the historic nature of roads and trees. We aren’t going to let that happen,” he said. “These are heritage trees, and they need to be protected.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The Community Association for the Modoc Preserve is promoting the preservation of trees.

A resident supports saving the trees from being removed for a multi-use path.

Westmont volleyball wins eighth in a row

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Volleyball (20-4, 14-2 GSAC) capped off her home slate of conference games on Saturday with a sweep over San Diego Christian (2-18, 1-14) in Murchison Gym. After clinching the GSAC Championship and top-seed in the GSAC Tournament on Friday night, the Warriors went right back to work in dominant fashion as they stretched their season-high winning streak to eight games.

Jessie Terlizzi led the Warriors offensively with 13 kills, ending the game with an attack percentage of .455. Defensively, Keelyn Kistner led the Warriors with 11 digs, while Kaili Hashimoto also collected 10 of her own. At the net, Taylor Distelberg collected a gamehigh seven blocks, while Lexi Malone and Alexis Dennick each added four of their own.

Overall, the Warriors held the Hawks to an attack percentage of -.082, while hitting .333 themselves.

“The story of the match was our blocking,” said Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin. “Our blocking was absolutely insane. We had no reception errors, and eight service aces. It was an incredible performance.”

The Warriors dominated the entire match, outscoring the Hawks 75-32. During the first set, Westmont took control with a 10-0 run up 11-9, leading the Warriors a 21-9 advantage and eventual 25-12 win.

During the second set, Phoebe Minch went on a 13-point service run, highlighting a 16-1 run by Westmont to open the game. Soon after, the Warriors marched to a 25-7 win.

In the third set, Westmont opened the game on a 10-3 run and never looked back, ultimately ending things with a 25-13 win.

“It was great to come off of a hard-fought and emotional win, and then to rebound today as we did with minimal rest. We really persevered mentally, and that’s the sign of a good team. We have a tough road trip coming up, but we’re excited to get back in the gym on Monday and get after it.”

The Warriors will head north this week to finish off their regular season with a match at Menlo on Friday night, before an afternoon match with William Jessup next Saturday. Then, on Friday, Nov. 11, Westmont will begin play in the semifinals of the GSAC Tournament in Surprise, Arizona.

On Monday, Nov. 14, 24 host sites for the NAIA Opening Round will be revealed.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College. email: sports@newspress.com

Seniors shine on Westmont women’s soccer Senior Day

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Women’s Soccer, ranked 16th in the NAIA, concluded the regular season with a convincing 8-0 win over Menlo (4-2-2) on Saturday at Thorrington Field. Fittingly, seven of the goals were scored by seniors on a day when Westmont honored its eight graduating seniors.

As a result, Westmont ended regular season play undefeated for the first time since 2013. The Warriors improved to 12-0-3 overall and 7-0-1 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. They also ended the regular season on a seven-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opponents 27-4.

The scoring came early and often for the Warriors. In the eighth minute, Karly Kingsley

received a pass from Shayna Stock who was on the left touchline. Kingsley, who was unguarded, took a touch, then fired from 30 yards out on the left side, sneaking the ball inside the near post.

Then in the 15th minute, Kingsley served a ball into the box from the left flank that found Reese Davidson. From just inside the six-yard box, Davidson headed the cross to the far post to give Westmont a 2-0 advantage.

In the 19th minute, Davidson fired off a ball from 22 yards out with her left foot that hit the crossbar and rebounded back into play. Amelia Villa headed the ball down and Davidson ran on it, using one touch to fire it past the keeper for her GSAC-leading 16th goal of the season.

Just 70 seconds later, Grace Duckens made it a 4-0 game. Kingsley sent a ball on a low

diagonal across the box. A Menlo defender mishandled the ball, teeing it up for Duckens who fired it off the inside of the far post.

Exactly two minutes after that, Duckens returned the favor to Kingsley. From the right touchline, Sadie Hill chipped a serve to the top of the six-yard box where Davidson, two Oaks defenders and the goalkeeper converged. Davidson, one defender and keeper ended up on the ground while Duckens retrieved the ball and sent it back out to Kingsley on the right side. Kingsley’s one-touch shot sailed inside the far post. Then in the 25th minute, Duckens scored her second goal of the day and her fourth of the season. Katie DeMillo dribbled a ball to the end line, right of the goal. DeMillo sent a ball across the face of the goal that continued past a defender. Duckens ran on

the ball and fired from six yards out. The ball ricocheted off the keeper and into the air. DeMillo took a second swing at it, this time with her back to the goal, and the ball spun into the goal.

Just 25 minutes into the game, three seniors had scored two goals each, Giving Westmont a 60 lead.

The only non-senior to score was freshman Sierra Martin who was tripped inside the box in the 41st minute. She converted the resulting penalty kick by going inside the left post for her first collegiate goal.

The only goal scored in the second half was in the 51st minute. Ande Siegel sent a corner kick to Hill, who was 20 yards out on the right side. Hill settled the ball and sent it toward the front of the goal. Kingsley kicked the

Please

UCSB cross country teams finish in top half at Big West Championships

By KRISTEN KELLER UCSB SPORTS

The UCSB men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Riverside to compete in The Big West Championships held at the Ag/Ops Cross Country Course on the campus of UC Riverside. Following the two races, the Gauchos had two Top 10 finishes while both teams finished in the top half of the field.

The first race of the day kicked off at 8:30 a.m. as the women’s team took off against their other conference foes. The ladies all came in close together, truly running the race as a team. With this performance, they finished the meet in fifth, tying with Cal State Fullerton, who took over fourth in the tie breaker.

The first Gaucho across the finish line was Sarah Chaves. The senior from Sacramento came across the finish line in 13th with a time of 20:35.5. Behind her was freshman Ava Maier who came in at 20:50.5 while junior Stina Johansson took an additional three seconds to finish her race with a time of 20:53.4. Rounding out the top five was Sarah Auther with a 20:55.8 and Lauren Lum with a 20:57.4.

The Big West Championships allows teams to compete with nine runners, which gave Shelby Nelson, Madeline Franco, Micaela O’Connell and Ruby Sirota-Foster the chance to help their team today. They all finished between 21:00.8 and 21:37.1.

On the men’s side, the team ran an incredible race, getting beaten out slightly by a strong Cal Poly team. Regardless, the

Gauchos finished in second place today.

The first member of this squad to finish their race was freshman Ethan Godsey. The Agoura, California native came in fourth today, earning him a spot on the podium for his first Big West Championship meet with a time of 23:47.1. Also earning a spot on stage and in the Top 10 was Gus Marshall. The sophomore from Los Angeles came across the finish line at 24:02.7, which was good enough for ninth place. Rounding out the top five for the Gauchos today was Manan Vats with a 24:23.8, Esteban Magana with a 24:32.4 and Preston Bowlds with a 24:37.8.

The Gauchos had four other runners compete in this race, and they were Brandon Cobian, Nate Osborn, Advait Krishnan and Matt Richardson. Cobian used his experiences to come in at 24:43.3 while freshman Osborn was close behind with a 25:04.0. Krishnan was just one second behind his teammate with a 25:05.5 while Richardson came across at 26:07.2.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will take the next two weeks to recover and train before making the trip to Seattle for the NCAA West Regional in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. The regional will take place on Friday, Nov. 11.

Kristen Keller is the associate athletic director for communications and digital strategy at UCSB.

email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont men’s basketball cruises to second win

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Men’s Basketball (2-0) put on their second show in as many opportunities on Saturday night, as the Warriors rolled to a 108-53 win over the Caltech Beavers. After a lopsided win against La Sierra on Opening Night, Westmont fans saw much of the same on Saturday thanks to Westmont’s explosive offense.

“Watching these two games, you’d be surprised to know two-thirds of our roster is new,” said Westmont head coach Landon Boucher. “By the way we’re sharing the ball, you’d think we’d been together for a while. We’re in sync on offense, and had another 20-assist game. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far.”

Amir Davis led the team offensively with 18 points, as Cade Roth and Cly Griffith added 17 of their own. Drew Ramirez scored 14, Anthony McIntyre scored 12, and Zeke Viuhkola scored 10, giving the Warriors six scorers in doublefigures.

Two nights after scoring a program-record

23 3-pointers, the team sank another 16 threes in 30 attempts. Roth made five of six from beyond the arc, Griffith added four and Ramirez had three of his own.

“Our 3-point shooting was stellar again,” nodded Boucher. “30 attempts is around the number we like. Our collective shooting is a priority of ours, and something we take a lot of pride in.

“Any night, it could be any guy. Tonight it was Cly off the bench, who had 11 points in the second half. Drew got hot as well, having only two points at halftime. We know it can’t just be one guy. We need to have several guys who are ready to make a play.”

Collectively, Westmont shot 65.1% from the field (41-63), while holding Caltech to a clip of 38.5% (20-52). Westmont also won the turnover battle emphatically, committing only six turnovers compared to Caltech’s 25. The Warriors collected 14 steals, with Jalen Townsell grabbing four, and Davis and Viuhkola each snagging three.

On the boards, Kyler Warren led the Warriors with seven rebounds, while also

scoring seven points.

“Having Kyler play the way he did tonight was really helpful off the bench,” said Boucher. “When we have Kyler off the bench playing like that, it’s big for us.

“Jalen couldn’t play as much as he wanted because his shoe was falling apart, but he still had four steals and six assists. I’m really pleased with the effort I saw tonight.”

The Warriors return to the court on Tuesday night when they host the Bethesda Flames at 6 p.m. in Murchison Gym. Links to tickets and live coverage will be available on the Westmont Athletics website.

“Tuesday is going to be a great game,” offered Boucher. “Bethesda is going to come with something we haven’t seen yet, in regards to their defensive pressure and athleticism. It’s going to be a different challenge, we’ll be ready for it.”

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

California air regulators to consider phase-out of diesel big rigs

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) –California truck drivers and environmental groups presented their concerns about a proposal under consideration by state air regulators to phase out the sale of medium and heavy-duty gaspowered vehicles within the next 20 years.

The California Air Resources Board held its first public hearing this week to receive feedback from the public on the proposal, which the board will likely consider in Spring 2023.

If adopted, all new medium and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the Golden State will be required to be zero-emission by 2040.

Additionally, the proposal outlines a phased approach to adding zero-emission vehicles to certain fleets at the state and federal levels.

Under the proposal, half of the vehicles added to state and local government fleets must be zeroemission starting in 2024 and 100% by 2027. Federal fleets and “high priority fleets” – classified as fleets with 50 or more trucks that bring in $50 million or more in annual revenue – can either phase in the use of zero-emission vehicles or begin purchasing all

zero-emission vehicles in 2024 and retire vehicles with combustion engines at “the end of their useful life.”

The regulation is part of the state’s overarching goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Transportation accounts for 41% of the state’s emissions inventory, and medium and heavy-duty trucks contribute a quarter of the sector’s emissions, according to CARB. Air regulators said this is a disproportionately high share “considering these vehicles represent only about 1.8 million trucks among the 30 million registered vehicles in the state.”

Earlier this year, California air regulators approved new regulations requiring all cars sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Trade groups, trucking companies, public health organizations and environmental groups converged at CARB’s Thursday meeting to express concerns about the latest proposal. Several activists speaking on behalf of environmental groups expressed support for the new rules but wanted additional changes.

Speaking on behalf of the Sierra Club, Ray Pringle urged the board to adopt stricter requirements and move up timelines.

“While CARB’s proposed rule is a good start, it needs to be stronger,” Mr. Pringle said.

Several commenters echoed similar sentiments, asking the board to take stronger action through the proposal. Mariela Ruacho, a clean air advocacy manager at the American Lung Association, urged board members to require the sale of 100% zero-emission medium and heavy-duty trucks by 2036 instead of 2040.

“California has the worst air quality in the nation, and transportation emissions are a major contributor, especially for communities close to major trucking routes,” Ms. Ruacho said.

Members of the trucking industry expressed concerns about the infrastructure needed to implement the board’s proposal and questioned the strength of the state’s electric grid to handle demands. The California Energy Commission has estimated that 157,000 chargers are necessary by 2030 to support the transition to electrification.

Mike Tunnel, the director of environmental affairs at American Trucking Associations, told the board that his members are “at the forefront of evaluating how to successfully deploy the

zero emission technologies.” He said at this point, trucking fleets are “unanimous in their belief that zero-emission trucks are not capable of doing what the regulation requires, and the infrastructure cannot be established in the timeframe given.”

Chris Shimoda, senior vice president of government affairs at the California Trucking Association, told board members that the charging infrastructure necessary to implement the proposal will require 65 to 160 megawatts, “enough capacity to power a small city.”

“Board members, the trucking industry is not opposed to zero emission technology. Our members want to get there, but we have a lot of work to do,” Mr. Shimoda said.

Hannon Rasool, director of the California Energy Commission’s Fuels and Transportation Division, told board members on Thursday that the state is “mindful of the need to ensure the grid is prepared” for zeroemission vehicles and is “very actively planning to support the market.”

The Air Resources Board is expected to hold a second public hearing on the proposal before taking a vote in the spring.

Oil drillers warn incoming setback law will have deep impact in Kern County

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Independent oil and gas producers are backing a proposed referendum to repeal a California law requiring 3,200-foot setback distances between new oil wells and sensitive areas – a measure that could hobble oil-rich Kern County.

Starting in January, Senate Bill 1137 will ban new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of “sensitive receptors,” including homes, schools and hospitals. The law also outlines rules for wellheads that already exist within 3,200 feet of sensitive receptors, which includes limiting noise and developing a “leak detection and response plan” by 2025.

Lawmakers said the measure is necessary to protect public health, as recent studies show proximity to oil and gas wells is associated with “adverse cardiovascular, psychological, perinatal and other health outcomes.”

Oil industry members moved quickly to file a proposed referendum, seeking to repeal the law by sending it before voters in 2024.

Officials announced last week that signaturegathering efforts had begun – they’ll need to collect over 623,000 verified signatures by midDecember to qualify the referendum for the 2024 general election ballot.

Opponents of the new restrictions are hoping for strong support in Kern County, which produces 70% of the state’s oil and ranks in the top seven oil-producing counties in the

United States. It produces 9.9 million barrels a month, according to a 2021 report from the Kern Economic Development Foundation. Oil and gas is the top industry in Kern County for gross domestic product and tax contributions, and the county had more than 25,000 energyrelated jobs in 2020, according to the report. The county is home to 78,000 oil and gas wells, including 40,000 active wells, according to the NRDC.

County Supervisors passed an ordinance last year streamlining approval for drilling and paving the way for 2,700 new oil and gas wells annually, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The ordinance was scrutinized in

Owner: ‘We need to remove the parklets, clean up State Street and police it’

was once one of the great main streets in the country.

“To be clear, the parklets were a great idea when we lost our dining room but most of us put up basic patio platforms as no one

expected this to go on for multiple years, much less permanently,” he said. “We took our parklet down last month as it no longer looked good. The city has an outdoor dining program that is more than adequate. We have our dining rooms back. We need State Street back.”

The government’s job, he said, is to level the playing field. As far as Mr. Brown is

concerned, the current parklet program favors the few at the expense of the many.

“We need to remove the parklets, clean up State Street and police it,” he said.

“Why is it so hard for the city to do these simple things? Seems like Job No. One to me.

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

Westmont finishes at top of GSAC standings

SOCCER

ball with her left leg, redirecting it inside the far post. The goal was her ninth of the season and resulted in her first career hat trick.

Westmont finished atop the GSAC standings with 22 points (three points for each win, one for each tie). Ottawa (Ariz.) (113-2, 5-1-2) placed second with 17 points. As a result, Westmont and Ottawa have earned byes in the quarterfinals of the upcoming GSAC Tournament.

Next Saturday, November 5 is the date for the quarterfinals which will find third-seeded Menlo hosting sixth seeded Hope International (9-6-2, 3-4-1) and fourth-seeded Vanguard (75-4, 3-3-2) hosting fifth-seeded The Master’s (4-7-5, 2-2-4).

Winners of the quarterfinal match-ups will advance to the semifinals at Westmont. The lowest remaining seed will play Westmont at 2 p.m. The other quarterfinal winner will play Ottawa. The championship game will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12

Westmont and second-place Ottawa have earned byes in the quarterfinals of the upcoming GSAC Tournament.

at Westmont’s Thorrington Field at 1 p.m.

In addition to Kingsley, Davidson and Duckens, the other five seniors honored today were Hill, Charlotte Chipembere, who earned a shutout as today’s goalkeeper, Grace Hotaling, Kendall Morton and Taylie Scott.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

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Lompoc 64/49/pc 63/46/pc

Pismo Beach 63/50/pc 60/46/c

Santa Maria 65/51/pc 65/47/c

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Sacramento 70/52/pc 62/41/sh

San Diego 73/60/pc 70/61/pc

San Francisco 61/53/pc 59/48/sh

San Jose 65/51/pc 62/46/sh

San Luis Obispo 69/52/pc 63/48/c

Santa Monica 73/57/pc 67/56/pc

Tahoe Valley 62/36/s 50/22/sh

Atlanta 71/54/c 76/56/s

Boston 66/56/pc 67/55/pc

Chicago 61/44/sh 68/44/s

Dallas 76/56/s 77/55/c

Denver 66/38/s 71/41/s

Houston 78/57/pc 70/58/sh

Miami 87/77/pc 86/76/pc

Minneapolis 65/40/s 71/53/s

New York City 66/57/pc 68/56/sh

Philadelphia 68/59/c 70/57/pc

Phoenix 83/58/s 82/60/pc

Portland, Ore. 58/45/r 52/40/sh

St. Louis 62/48/pc 73/49/s

Salt Lake City 63/46/s 73/42/pc

Seattle 55/42/sh 49/39/sh

Washington, D.C. 69/59/sh 75/57/pc

Beijing 64/35/s 58/38/s

Berlin 66/54/pc 64/48/pc

Cairo 80/64/s 78/61/s

Cancun 87/75/pc 88/79/pc London 64/52/c 59/46/r

Mexico City 74/52/sh 76/53/s

Montreal 59/49/pc 59/46/pc

New Delhi 89/65/pc 90/65/pc

Paris 67/50/c 61/48/pc

Rio de Janeiro 89/70/t 73/64/r

Rome 75/54/s 73/54/pc

Sydney 82/68/c 74/52/c

Tokyo 67/56/s 63/57/c

Editor Dave Mason

Super spooky scenes spotted in SB

Roosevelt Elementary School students set up a collective altar for their loved ones in celebration of the Day of the Dead on the steps in front of the campus.

Above and at right, bats take flight among various other creepy decorations in the 2700 block of Foothill Road.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Above, Halloween decorators look to get a leg up on competition in the 2700 block of Foothill Road in Santa Barbara on Thursday. At right, a skeletal scene unfolds in the 1500 block of Clearview Road. Below, another Clearview Road location shows a macabre wedding party having the time of their un-deaths.

SOFT WASHING

Soft washing is the alternative to pressure washing. We use water based, biodegradable solutions. They emulsify dirt and grime, break down insect nests and webs as well as kill mold, mildew, algae and bacteria. All while sanitizing the surface we are cleaning. Soft washing uses one-third the water of pressure washing, lasts four to six times longer, and doesn’t erode the surface like pressure washing often can.

ADDING HOME VALUE

According to the National Association of Realtors, cleaning the homes exterior (for the home and driveway) can add anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 to the value of your home, making pressure washing one of the most costeffective and time-efficient cleaning techniques. “High pressure washing systems are likely to damage asphalt roofing and should not be used on asphalt roofing for removing algae or for any other purpose.” — Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing Association

Santa Barbara Soft Wash uses processes and roof cleaning solutions that are recommended by the ARMA so you can be reassured that your roof warranty is not voided.

KILLS MOLD, MILDEW, & ALGAE

The problem with high pressure washing is it only strips away the top of the algae bloom, and while it may temporarily remove discoloration, it leaves the root spores on the surface, often blasting them deeper, and allowing them to grow back thicker and healthier. Soft Washing penetrates to the root of the growth, eliminating the discoloration instantly while breaking the bond of the spores and achieving a 100% kill ratio.

Holiday Pop-Up returns to Carpinteria

vendors included in Santa

By MATT SMOLENSKY NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Santa Barbara Sea Glass & Ocean Arts Festival Holiday PopUp will make its return Nov. 19 at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave., Carpinteria.

The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature oceanthemed crafts and jewelry from more than 20 artists in an openair market setting.

“We carefully curate our vendor list to ensure that this event represents the absolute best in ocean arts. Our artists channel their unique talents into diverse products that rely on high quality materials and skills honed over decades,” said Karen Clark, festival artistic director. “We are also selective based on price points — you will find something here for everyone on your list.”

“The little beach town is a perfect fit for our event,” said Louise Sciutto, festival board president. “Its charming shops and restaurants are all located just a few blocks from what is

historically celebrated as the World’s Safest Beach.”

The pop-up market, a huge hit in downtown Carpinteria last year, will be followed by a similar event planned for Dec. 11 at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way in Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Sea Glass and Ocean Arts Festival organizers have announced that the full festival will make its return in 2023. Set for Sept. 9-10 at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge, the festival will feature dozens of vendors, workshops and displays of worldclass sea glass collections.

email: msmolensky@newspress.com

Dealing with tough days

Editor’s note: Barton Goldsmith’s column now runs on Sundays and Mondays in the News-Press. Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, the Ask the Gold Digger columnist, is taking a break this week, but her column will return next week in the News-Press on its new day — Sundays.

Perhapsone of the best things you can do when you’ve got a case of the blues is to do whatever you can to keep moving forward. When you run out of things to do in one area of your life, explore another and simply start doing something.

Time on your hands may well lead you to dark thoughts and lower your energy. If you want to feel better (and you know you do), then you have to actually do something to make that happen and to change your circumstances as well as your state of mind.

The choices are endless. You have your basics: exercise, running errands, doing stuff around the house, completing paperwork, and so on. Although I am a fan of meditation, when you are in this condition, a few minutes can be helpful, but it is not an activity you want to engage in for the entire day. It’s almost like napping away your troubles. Unless you take some action before trying to get in touch with yourself (or just escape by sleeping), you will wake up in the same emotional state.

I think it also helps to focus action on the area you are stressing about. If you are lonely, then spend time going to events, meeting people, and even looking online for friends or someone who can be more to you. Don’t isolate yourself. You can only end the loneliness when you find a person or people to whom you can relate. If you are out of work and it’s depressing you, make

finding a job your new career. Get up every day and get dressed like you are going to work, and then do your research, set up interviews, send resumes and ask everyone you know if they have any leads for you.

This is where you can be productive on the computer and utilize your network of friends and family to help you find something. There is a job out there for you. I know it’s frustrating, but you can find it.

If you are not in the market for love or work, but you are still not as emotionally strong as you would like to be, you might want to do some volunteer work. You can support a cause or some people, doing what you can to make the world a better place. Please believe me when I tell you that you will feel better knowing you have made a contribution to the human race.

It works almost every time though it can be hard to offer what’s left of your strength and energy when you are down. The truth is that you won’t change your mood by doing the same things over and over again. Yes, you deserve time to heal from an emotional loss, but too much time spent in that arena will take away from what you have left.

Doing something, almost anything, that will help move you forward is the key to making your life a nice place to be once again.

Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also a columnist, the author of eight books and a blogger for PsychologyToday.com with more than 28 million readers. He is available for video consults worldwide. Reach him at barton@bartongoldsmith.com. His column appears Sundays and Tuesdays in the NewsPress.

Jeweler Sharon Curtis will offer her stunning pieces at the Santa Barbara Sea Glass & Ocean Arts Festival “Holiday Pop-Up” on Nov. 19.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Betsy Bothell’s unique art pieces will be among the many offerings at the Santa Barbara Sea Glass & Ocean Arts Festival “Holiday Pop-Up” on Nov. 19.

The pop-up market, a huge hit in downtown Carpinteria last year, will be followed by a similar event planned for Dec. 11 at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

Diversions

SUDOKU

will listen to you much more than usual,

Sometimes when you say something, people hear you but minutes later forget what you said.

different. Your words will penetrate more deeply and end up being disseminated much more widely than ever before. Don’t be stingy with what you have to say.

apt to disagree sharply with information you receive, Taurus. Perhaps your attitude is a bit selfish, so you aren’t able to appreciate ideas that are more humanitarian in nature. Expand your way of thinking to include the people around you. You will find that the more you offer yourself to others, the more respected and happier you will be overall.

Gemini: Climactic events are apt to occur in your life, Gemini. It’s time to condense and solidify your grand schemes and bright ideas in such a way that makes them more practical. Things may be spinning so quickly that you aren’t quite sure where to jump on. Worry about that later. For now, what you need to do is express your ideas forcefully and succinctly.

Cancer: It’s time to take your communication to the next level, Cancer. Expand outward and upward. For the last three weeks you’ve gone through a serious mental process that has helped you define what you stand for and believe in. Now you’re in a phase that urges you to put these ideas into motion.

Leo: A new cycle is beginning for you in which you may find yourself throwing away old beliefs and mental processes, Leo. Out with the old and in with the new. This time of housecleaning is extremely important, for you will find that the same tired old speech that you’ve been working on is suddenly defunct. Pull your resources together and construct a new platform that makes you proud.

Virgo: You may feel like you’re on a cliff with your legs dangling over the edge, Virgo. You’re searching for handholds while your feet struggle to support you on a tiny ledge. You may be swearing that when you get out of this predicament, you will never come this way again. Take heart. This is all part of the cycle.

Libra: Someone has suddenly put the fan on high, Libra, and papers

are blowing everywhere. Neat piles whisked into large swirls of chaos. Everyone is shouting opinions about what should be done about it. Meanwhile, there are people making demands on you that you just can’t handle. Slow down and communicate your situation to others.

Scorpio: Try not to get tangled in other people’s words, Scorpio. It could be that you’re accidentally misconstruing their statements because you aren’t listening closely. Rather, your mind is focused on your own thoughts, even though you snap to attention when something hits you wrong. Show respect by turning down the volume in your head when someone else has the floor, even if you don’t agree with what they’re saying.

Sagittarius: There’s a terrific expansive feeling to the day, Sagittarius, which you will appreciate more than anyone. For other people, this energy might expand into a headache. For you, it’s apt to expand your feeling of success. It also might expand your stomach, so be careful that you don’t overindulge.

Capricorn: There might be some unexpected communication coming from a long-lost friend or old roommate today, Capricorn. You never know whom you might run into when you leave the house, so stay alert. An old teacher could be just around the corner. Perhaps a bizarre news story in the paper catches your attention, because there on the page is a photo of the kid who lived next door to your childhood home.

Aquarius: This is one of those days when you just can’t wait for someone to stop talking so you can say something, Aquarius. It’s likely you won’t even wait. Don’t be surprised if friction results from such strongly held opposing views. People could blow things out of proportion, since everyone is convinced that they are right.

Pisces: Your mind could be going in many directions, Pisces. Direct your energy toward small projects that require intellect. Your energy is likely to come in waves, so use it wisely when you have it, and feel free to take a break when you don’t. Tell your boss that you will be much more productive if you have a 20-minute break in the afternoon in order to recharge.

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

to

to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language.

Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance.

All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid.

Remember that at the end

should have a different

of the alphabet in each of the

in

in

and a

of the

on the codeword grid.

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

SCRAMBLED WORD

Houses 70

Gorgeous

Congressional Republicans build lead over Democrats heading into midterm elections

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Republicans have extended their lead over Democrats in Congressional races just days away from the midterm elections, according to newly released polling data.

A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that those surveyed favor Republicans to Democrats, 49% to 45%. This poll is a major shift from July, when Democrats led Republicans 44% to 40% in the same poll.

The University of Virginia Center for Politics announced this week that Republicans officially had enough Congressional races in the “lean Republican” category to take the 218 seats needed for a majority, meaning they can win the majority even if they lose all of the “toss-up” races.

“A large number of races remain close and competitive,” said Kyle Kondik with the Center for Politics. “The danger for Democrats is that these races end up breaking

disproportionately to the Republicans. After these changes, 218 seats at least Lean Republican, while 195 at least Lean Democratic, and there are 22 Toss-ups. Splitting the Toss-ups evenly, 11-11, would give Republicans 229 seats, or a net gain of 16.”

“We suspect the Republicans will do better than just a split in the Toss-ups, so our updated forecast is a GOP gain in the high teens or low 20s,” he added.

Economic issues have been a key driver for voters, and the USA Today/Suffolk University poll found that many Americans have felt the pain of inflation and are responding accordingly. According to the survey, 61% percent are eating out less often and 50% have postponed or canceled vacations.

These findings echo a recent Morning Consult poll which found that 82% of American shoppers say they have tried to save money at the grocery store, with many of them even buying less food.

Gas prices have also been a key issue

Operation Lone Star: Continued successes, record deaths

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Texas law enforcement officers working through the state’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, continue to thwart human smuggling activity as U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a record number of deaths of illegal crossers in fiscal 2022.

South America, DPS El Paso regional director Jose Sanchez said. It’s a key destination for Mexican cartel drug smugglers and human traffickers who once they make it into El Paso use two major arteries to traffic people into the interior of the U.S.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0002468

The following person(s) is doing business as: Beach Baby Kids Boutique, 1241

Law enforcement, working with Border Patrol agents, found 856 dead bodies of individuals who’d illegally entered the U.S. and likely died from the natural elements. The number of deaths of illegal foreign nationals reported in fiscal 2022 outpaced the record set in fiscal 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports.

The number of deaths was included in fiscal year end data when CBP reported a record 2.7 million enforcement actions in fiscal 2022, the highest in U.S. history.

The FBI has warned that El Paso is a major human smuggling and kidnapping destination where its agents continue to arrest smugglers and find stash houses.

At the southernmost end of Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, which has historically seen the most traffic of illegal entry, Texas National Guard engineers have been working to improve safety for University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley campus students.

after hitting record highs over the summer. Convention of States Action, along with Trafalgar Group, released a new poll that found “54.4 percent of voters say rising gas prices will make them more likely to vote for Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections.”

The economic concerns have been a major driver for Republicans, especially as the Democratic fervor from the reversal of Roe v. Wade earlier this year has failed to surpass other top issues, though it has moved up on the list.

Gallup’s “most important problems” list tracks the issues most concerning to Americans on a monthly basis. The latest data from September showed 38% of Americans chose an economic issue as their top concern with 17% citing inflation and 12% pointing to the economy in general. Only 4% of Americans chose abortion as the most important problem, behind 5% naming race relations and 6% choosing immigration. Crime matched abortion at 4%.

Secretaries of state warn ‘independent state legislature theory’ would upend elections

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) –Thirteen Secretaries of State led by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in Moore v. Harper, a case that will have the court considering the “independent state legislature” theory.

asking the Supreme Court to review the lower court’s decision. The court granted the request in June 2022.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN2022-0002495

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET, 175 N. FAIRVIEW AVENUE, GOLETA, CA 93117 County of SANTA BARBARA Mailing Address: 5455 E. HIGH STREET, SUITE 111, PHOENIX, AZ 85054 SF MARKETS, LLC, 5455 E. HIGH STREET, SUITE 111, PHOENIX, AZ 85054

This business is conducted by a limited liability company

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 8/17/2016.

SF MARKETS, LLC S/ BRANDON LOMBARDI, SECRETARY, This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 10/07/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 10/17, 10/24, 10/31, 11/7/22 CNS-3630217# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS OCT 17, 24, 31; NOV 7 / 2022 -- 58754

Since last March, OLS officials have apprehended more than 319,000 illegal foreign nationals, made more than 21,000 criminal arrests and reported more than 18,700 felony charges. They’ve also seized over 346 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill everyone in the United States.

A recent apprehension by DPS troopers provides a glimpse into the daily reality in Texas. In this instance, troopers stopped a driver of a dump truck on Interstate 35 in La Salle County driving north from the Laredo/ Mexico border. Hiding inside were 84 mostly male Guatemalan and Mexican men and youth. They were apprehended and referred to Border Patrol and the driver, from Poteet, Texas, was arrested and charged with 84 counts of human smuggling.

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez says those paying to be smuggled into the U.S. are predominantly Mexicans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and El Salvadorans.

To help DPS troopers thwart criminal activity in the western most region of Texas, the Texas Military Department has expanded its border response 400 miles west to El Paso where a major increase in illegal border crossings is occurring.

The El Paso region’s surge can be traced to mass migration from

Increased criminal activity and illegal river crossings have impacted campus life so much that university police asked the National Guard for help. After foreign nationals illegally enter Texas by crossing the Rio Grande River in-between ports of entry, they look for a place to hide to evade capture by law enforcement. In this case, they found a 1.5-acre area of dense overgrowth on university property. Using the area as cover, they began trespassing on campus and committing crimes, authorities said.

First Lt. Chris Daniel, 176th Engineer Brigade, part of Task Force East Engineers, said in a statement that criminal aliens were using the area “as concealment and to cross the campus and enter vehicles, which took them into the interior of the United States.” His group cleared the area to improve safety for the campus.

In addition to OLS efforts at the Texas-Mexico border, sheriffs in multiple counties participating in a task force led by Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd are thwarting criminal activity several hundred miles north along Highway 59.

So far, they’ve initiated 12,654 traffic stops, 322 pursuits and 204 bailouts, OLS Task Force Commander John Davis told The Center Square. They’ve apprehended 2,186 illegal foreign nationals, and made 1,855 arrests, including charging 179 people involved in organized criminal activity and 374 with smuggling of persons.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Moore v. Harper in December, a case brought forth after the Republican-controlled North Carolina Legislature adopted a new congressional voting map based on 2020 Census results.

A group of Democratic voters and nonprofit organizations alleged the map was a partisan gerrymander that violated the state constitution and challenged it in court, according to Ballotpedia.

In February, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the state could not use the map in the 2022 elections, describing it as an “egregious and intentional partisan gerrymander” to benefit Republicans, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

North Carolina lawmakers proposed a second map that was not accepted by the court, resulting in the court ordering “special masters” to draw a fair congressional map.

North Carolina Republican state legislators filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court to try to put the gerrymandered map back in place, but the court ended up denying the request. In a dissent, however, justices stated that the independent state legislature doctrine was an important topic for the court to resolve, according to Ballotpedia.

In March of this year, North Carolina House of Representatives Speaker Timothy Moore filed a request

The “independent state legislature’ theory at the center of the case is a doctrine that asserts only state legislatures can make laws to regulate federal elections, according to Democracy Docket. The case before the court considers this theory and ponders whether State Courts are prohibited from reviewing state election laws under the Constitution.

If the theory is upheld, some officials fear it could result in unchecked power for state legislatures to regulate federal elections. In the submitted amicus brief, the 13 Secretaries of State raised concern about the theory.

“All states have built up substantial reliance on the founding principles and [the Supreme Court’s] opinions that have reaffirmed state legislature’s regulations of elections are subject to the checks and balances of state law,” the amicus brief states. “Dismantling those legal regimes now based on a mistaken legal theory alien to our country’s history and this Court’s precedent would have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences on our country’s elections.”

The brief also points out that the Supreme Court has historically “respected” judicial review over state election laws, adding that “upending the role of state courts in interpreting state election laws could unsettled established case law in the states.”

The 13 secretaries who cosigned the amicus brief filed by the Colorado Attorney General represent California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, according to a news release.

‘No other industry has the level of scrutiny that we already have for emissions’

that we already have for emissions,” Mr. Hathaway told The Center Square. “And those are the emissions they’re saying are health hazards.”

court after environmental groups proved it violated state law.

While the county supports the oil industry, its position contradicts state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s crusade to reduce the presence of oil wells near communities.

Independent oil producers say the law will increase dependence on foreign oil often produced in environments with less stringent standards.

Chad Hathaway, founder of Bakersfieldbased Hathaway LLC said the law could “severely impact” his business by taking “millions and millions of dollars” of reserves off the table. His business operates around 300 wells in Kern County.

He also questioned the decision to implement a 3,200 foot setback when the state already enforces strict emissions standards. The bill text says studies have shown “evidence of harm at distances less than one kilometer, which is approximately 3,200 feet.”

“No other industry has the level of scrutiny

“If you stand in your garage with the garage closed and your car running, you’re gonna die. That’s dangerous,” he later added. “Our wells are checked quarterly and they’re inspected by the state. They’re double checked, and if there’s any tiny little emissions, we get fined substantially. No other industry has that level of scrutiny.”

Other proponents of the referendum argue that the need for oil in California is still present, as Californians consume 1.8 millions of barrels of oil each day, according to the California Independent Petroleum Association.

“All [SB] 1137 does is curtail in-state production of oil – it does not reduce the demand for oil,” California Independent Petroleum Association CEO Rock Zierman told The Center Square. “As a result, it’s just going to shift more of our consumption of the oil we consume domestically produced, American-made local oil made by American workers paid for with American taxes to

foreign imports.”

Mr. Zierman also criticized mandating a setback distance without an environmental review that considers how to mitigate potential impacts. The “arbitrary” setback is going to be “very problematic for a lot of production in Kern County and the rest of the state.”

Both Mr. Zierman and Mr. Hathaway also pondered how the bill would impact a new development proposed within 3,200 feet of an existing oil well. Senator Monique Limón, one of the bill’s authors, was not available to respond to The Center Square’s questions on this issue.

CIPA is spearheading the referendum effort, seeking to repeal the law in 2024. Mr. Hathaway said he sees the referendum as a “short term fix,” noting that larger oil companies who operate in Kern County are not currently putting “major capital” into the effort. Mr. Hathaway also acknowledged that it could be difficult to win enough voter support to overturn the law.

Ultimately, Mr. Hathaway said the law could force him to sue for a constitutional right to his property.