Political Watch: May 29, 2025

Your weekly dose of local news, arts, and culture. Our News Wire newsletter lands every Thursday with the stories shaping Northern Santa Barbara County

SEND ME THE HEADLINES!

•Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) recognized the Immigrant Legal Defense Center as the California Nonprofit of the Year for Assembly District 37 on May 21. This recognition was part of the Legislature’s annual California Nonprofits Day, a statewide effort honoring the vital role that nonprofit organizations play in California communities, according to Hart’s office. Founded in Santa Barbara County, the Immigrant Legal Defense Center provides pro bono legal services to immigrants facing deportation, while ensuring that no one stands alone in immigration court. Through advocacy, direct representation, and civil rights education, Immigrant Legal Defense Center promotes equal access to justice and helps individuals and families navigate an often-intimidating legal system with dignity. “The Immigrant Legal Defense Center is a vital part of our community’s support network,” Hart said in a statement. “Their commitment to justice, fairness, and dignity for all reflects the very best of what nonprofit service can be. I’m proud to honor Immigrant Legal Defense Center for their exceptional work and unwavering advocacy on behalf of immigrant families.” Julissa Peña, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, said that the nonprofit is “deeply honored to receive this recognition” from Hart. “We believe that every family deserves safety, every child deserves stability, and every person deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of where they were born. This work is not possible without the trust of the communities we serve and the support of leaders like Assemblymember Hart who stand with us in the fight for justice,” Peña stated. “This recognition strengthens our resolve to keep showing up, to keep defending, and to keep believing in a future where fairness and compassion lead the way.” Recognizing the essential role nonprofits play in delivering front-line services, Hart authored AB 1039—a bill aimed at improving equity in state grantmaking. If enacted, AB 1039 would require all funding opportunities listed on grants.ca.gov to offer up to 25 percent in advance payments on approved contracts and grants, reducing financial barriers that often prevent nonprofits from launching critical services, according to Hart’s office.

• On May 22, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released a statement in response to the House of Representatives’ passage of the Republican reconciliation bill. The bill contains extreme and unprecedented cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, his office said. The proposal demands slashing at least $880 billion from programs under the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is “impossible without devastating cuts to Medicaid,” according to Carbajal’s office. The budget also mandates about $300 billion in cuts to programs under the House Agriculture Committee. “Today, House Republicans passed their heartless bill to rip away health care and food assistance from millions of Americans—working families, seniors, children, and veterans—to give big tax breaks to billionaires,” Carbajal said in the May 22 statement. “As the bill heads to the Senate, Democrats will continue to stand up for the American people because our values are clear: we protect health care, support working families, and champion a fair and just America.”

• Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) issued a statement on May 22 in response to the deadly shooting involving two staff members of the Israeli Embassy outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. “My heart is with the families and loved ones of the two Israeli Embassy workers whose lives were tragically taken in Washington, D.C.,” Addis stated. “This type of violence is always wrong. … The alarming rise of antisemitism cannot go unanswered. We must take this seriously and work to root out antisemitism and hate everywhere it exists.”

This article appears in May 29 – Jun 8, 2025.