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Panetta, local officials and nonprofit leaders vow to support immigrants as deportation fears persist
Local government and nonprofit leaders joined Rep. Jimmy Panetta Tuesday afternoon to reassure Santa Cruz County’s immigrant community that they are committed to supporting them as deportation fears continue.
Local officials: We will not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement
Local law enforcement, education and human services officials joined U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta on Tuesday to reassure immigrant families that local agencies will not participate in federal immigration enforcement, as officials described growing fear among residents seeking health care, education, housing and other services.
Panetta convened leaders from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties following a closed-door roundtable in Cabrillo College’s Sesnon House focused on the effects of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
The message from local officials was consistent: Regardless of immigration status, residents should continue going to school, seeking medical care, accessing food and housing assistance and reporting crimes to local law enforcement.
Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell said fear of immigration enforcement is making it more difficult to prosecute crimes because some victims and witnesses are reluctant to participate in the criminal justice system.
“Law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE,” Rosell said. “We’re not interested in deporting people. We are interested in holding people accountable. We are interested in people who are victims of crimes reporting those crimes and people who witness crimes coming forward and staying involved in the court process.”
Rosell said his office has encountered cases in which witnesses with immigration concerns are afraid to travel to Santa Cruz County, forcing investigators to take additional steps to ensure their participation. The problem has affected serious cases, including homicide prosecutions.
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto offered a similar assurance.
“We do not conduct immigration sweeps. We do not do enforcement,” Nieto said. “Our responsibility is to public safety in the state of California.”
Nieto urged people to contact local law enforcement if they are victims of domestic violence, have a missing child or otherwise need help, regardless of their immigration status.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark echoed that message, telling residents to call 911 even if they are uncertain who is at their door.
“Our deputies have a duty to intervene,” Clark said, including when deputies witness conduct that may amount to a crime regardless of who is involved.”
Panetta said fear surrounding federal immigration enforcement has spread beyond interactions with police and is affecting institutions throughout the Central Coast.
“The underlying theme here that we’ve been hearing from all of these local leaders — and that’s fear,” Panetta said.
He said the administration’s policies are affecting health care, housing, food assistance, families, essential workers and the criminal justice system, while undermining trust in public institutions.
Education officials said they are seeing those effects firsthand.
Cabrillo College President Jenn Capps said the college has experienced a 23% decline in students applying for the California Dream Act, which provides state financial aid to eligible students regardless of immigration status.
“Fear shouldn’t block access to education,” Capps said, adding that Cabrillo would continue supporting its students.
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah said the same uncertainty is affecting younger students and their families.
“Every child has a right to a public education, regardless of immigration status,” Sabbah said. “And our schools continue to be places of safety, belonging and support.”
Sabbah said students have missed school or struggled academically because of anxiety surrounding detention or the possibility of family separation. The fear extends beyond undocumented families to people with visas and temporary protected status, as well as permanent residents and U.S. citizens who fear being profiled or detained, he said.
Local schools, along with Cabrillo College, have adopted measures prohibiting their properties and resources from being used to stage immigration enforcement operations. Schools also do not collect information about the immigration status of students or their families, Sabbah said.
Other officials described similar effects on food, housing and health care.
Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Erica Padilla Chavez said fear has affected immigrants as well as U.S. citizens seeking assistance.
“Your food bank is committed to ensuring that anyone in our community in need of nourishment has access to it,” she said, noting that assistance can include home delivery.
Phil Kramer, CEO of Housing Matters, said some people experiencing homelessness have become reluctant to seek services because they fear immigration enforcement or believe accepting government assistance could jeopardize their immigration status.
Kramer also warned about a proposed federal housing rule affecting mixed-status households receiving federal assistance. He said more than 1,000 people in 270 Santa Cruz County households could be affected, with some families facing housing instability or homelessness if the proposal takes effect.
Health care providers are encountering similar pressures.
Dr. Donaldo Hernandez of the California Medical Association said providers remain committed to treating patients regardless of immigration status, but financial and political pressures are making that increasingly difficult. He also said some foreign-born doctors training in residency programs face immigration uncertainty.
Panetta framed the gathering as a demonstration that local officials intend to resist federal policies they believe are harming Central Coast communities.
“What we have here is a demonstration of leaders at all levels of government who are willing to stand up to the federal government,” Panetta said, “who are willing to stand up in order to push back and then protect the vulnerable communities that contribute so much to the Central Coast.”
The Lookout List is back! Nominations are now open for 2026
After an incredible inaugural year, The Lookout List returns for its second annual celebration of Santa Cruz County, and Lookout Santa Cruz wants to hear your opinion on the people, places, businesses, and experiences that make our community such a special place to live, work, and play.
Whether you’re nominating your favorite coffee shop, local artist, real-estate agent, nonprofit, live music venue, restaurant for birthday celebrations, or dining pop-ups, The Lookout List is your opportunity to celebrate the favorites that define Santa Cruz County.
From Monday, August 10, through Sunday, September 6, readers can submit write-in nominations across dozens of categories celebrating their favorite local businesses, organizations, people, places, and experiences.
When the nomination period closes, the top five nominees in each category will advance to the final voting period.
Final Voting begins September 21The final voting period runs from Monday, September 21, through Sunday, October 18, giving the community one final opportunity to vote for their favorites.
Beginning Monday, November 9, we’ll begin unveiling this year’s Lookout List Winners and Runners-Up, revealing one category group each business day over the following two weeks.
Recognition in the Lookout List extends well beyond the campaign itself.
This year’s Winners and Runners-Up will receive:
- A commemorative certificate
- An official Lookout List window sticker
- Discounted advertising opportunities with Lookout Santa Cruz
- Permanent recognition on the 2026 Lookout List category pages
- Additional exposure through potential Lookout editorial features, guides, and other community initiatives throughout the coming year
Check out the 2025 Lookout List Winners and Runner-Ups >>
Celebrate what makes Santa Cruz County specialThe Lookout List is all about recognizing the people, places, businesses, and experiences that make Santa Cruz County one of a kind.
So spread the word, nominate your favorites, encourage your friends and family to participate, and help us celebrate the local favorites that make our community so special.
Submit your nominations today and help shape the 2026 Lookout List! >>
The Lookout List is proudly sponsored by Bay Federal Credit Union and New Leaf Community Markets.
The post The Lookout List is back! Nominations are now open for 2026 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of Aug. 11
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Here is what’s new in local business recently.
New businesses- OLIVIA’S HERITAGE SPA was registered at 2908 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, by Ngm Group LLC as a limited liability company on July 27.
- SOLINE JEWELRY was registered at 4200 Diamond Street #1, Capitola, by Align Creative LLC as a limited liability company on July 27.
- IMPERIO PAINTING AND GENERAL MAINTNANCE was registered at 789 Green Valley Rd. Spc 64, Watsonville, by Jose De Jesus Rocha Rocha as an individual business on July 27.
- FINANCIAL FREEDOM was registered at 13801 Hutchings Court, Watsonville, by Cuauhtemoc Medina as an individual business on July 27.
- UNCORPRATING was registered at 107 Washburn Ave., Capitola, by John Borgman as an individual business on July 27.
- NP CURA was registered at 6265 Highway 9, Felton, by Melco Nursing, Inc. as a corporation on July 28.
- CENTER OF ATTENTION was registered at 777 Chestnut St., Santa Cruz, by Center Of Attention Family Therapy Incorporated as a corporation on July 29.
- SEA UNIT FISHERIES was registered at 3744 Valera Dr., Soquel, by Brett Maas as an individual business on July 29.
- SUNFLOWER CHILD DEVELOPMENT was registered at 16 Vallecitos Lane, Watsonville, by Sunflower Child Development LLC as a limited liability company on July 29.
- EVERGREEN PATHS was registered at 124 School Lane, Santa Cruz, by Mas Serenity Bookkeeping LLC as a limited liability company on July 29.
- STYLEDXBEE was registered at 130 Roache Rd., Freedom, by Bianca Madrigal-Sandoval as an individual business on July 29.
- THE PIX STUDIO was registered at 1145 Chanticleer Ave., Apt. 8, Santa Cruz, by Miguel Angel Rodriguez Mendez as an individual business on July 30.
- DE COLORES CLAY was registered at 204 Calabasas Rd., Watsonville, by Daniel Casella as a general partnership on July 30.
- SALT & SUMMIT RETREATS was registered at 833 Valencia Rd., Aptos, by Valencia House LLC as a limited liability company on July 31.
- MUTTEER was registered at 621 Paradise Park, Santa Cruz, by Hussein Mohamed as an individual business on July 31.
- Aaliyah’s Catering was registered at 24 Ford St., Apt. G, Watsonville, by Laura Terriquez Gonzalez as an individual business on Aug. 3.
- MOUNTAIN MEDUSA DESIGNS was registered at 150 Taylor Rd., Ben Lomond, by Karen Michelle Oeh as an individual business on Aug. 3.
- BAMBI’S WAG TAXI was registered at 3325 Gross Rd., Santa Cruz, by Kimberly Lynn Bambi Brenkwitz as an individual business on Aug. 3.
- DAGNE & LACY was registered at 331 Martin Dr., Aptos, by Tracey Diane Brosig as a general partnership on Aug. 3.
- SOCKSMITH ON THE WHARF was registered at 1515 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, by Socksmith Design, Inc. as a corporation on Aug. 4.
- MAZA MADRE BREAD CO. was registered at 16 Richardson Ave., Freedom, by Maira Alondra Fernandez Nolaso as an individual business on Aug. 4.
- FIREFISH GRILL, GILBERT’S GIFT SHOP, WOODIES CAFE was registered at 25 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, by Mark Gilebrt Enterprises, Inc. as a limited liability company on Aug. 5.
- TONI JULIAN INTERIOR DESIGN was registered at 3929 Mainsail Place, Soquel, by Toni Julian Apgar as an individual business on Aug. 6.
- SANTA CRUZ GARLIC was registered at 343 Soquel Ave., Suite 173, Santa Cruz, by Han Zhang as an individual business on Aug. 6.
- G’S MEXICAN GRUB SPOT was registered at 279 Lucerne Ave., Watsonville, by Gustavo Santillan Regalado as an individual business on Aug. 7.
Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.
MORE LOCAL COVERAGEThe post Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of Aug. 11 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
UC Santa Cruz announces two-year housing guarantee for new undergraduate students
UC Santa Cruz will provide two years of guaranteed university housing for incoming first-year and transfer students, a reflection of the campus’s longstanding commitment to advancing student success.
The expanded housing commitment was made possible by years of thoughtful planning and intentional investment in expanding student housing.
“I am thrilled UC Santa Cruz is able to offer this housing commitment to our incoming undergraduate students,” Chancellor Cynthia Larive said. “We are helping more students build a strong foundation for academic and personal success by offering them housing certainty for their first two years.”
UC Santa Cruz currently provides housing for about 9,300 students, roughly half of its undergraduates and one of the highest percentages within the UC system. Under Chancellor Larive’s leadership, the campus has been pursuing an ambitious plan to increase student housing by more than 40 percent.
The plan has been a success with several projects scheduled to open in the 2026-27 academic year and more projects on the horizon.
From left: Cabrillo College President Matt Wetstein, Sen. John Laird, and UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive participated in a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Sept. 29. Credit: UC Santa Cruz
The completion of the Delaware Apartments and near-completion of our Kresge College Renewal Phases 1 and 2 and new Family Student Housing community have increased housing opportunities while replacing aging facilities with modern, welcoming spaces. More housing is on the way through the campus’s shared project with Cabrillo College, expected to open in 2027-28, and the recently approved Heller South development, which will provide housing for nearly 1,300 upper division students. Together, these investments have created the capacity and confidence to expand housing guarantee for new undergraduates.
UC Santa Cruz is joining UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UCLA and UC Merced in offering undergraduate students a housing guarantee of at least two years.
A student’s ability to succeed academically, build community, and fully engage in university life is closely tied to stable housing. The expanded guarantee reflects the campuswide commitment to creating the conditions for success. Research consistently shows that students who live in university housing are more likely to build meaningful connections, access campus resources, stay engaged in their education, and persist to graduation.
For students and families, this expanded guarantee also provides greater certainty during a critical period of transition, allowing students to focus on their academic, personal, and professional growth.
UC Santa Cruz leaders and staff are continuing to focus on expanding student housing, enriching residential life, and supporting student success.
The post UC Santa Cruz announces two-year housing guarantee for new undergraduate students appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
Panetta, funcionarios locales y líderes de organizaciones sin fines de lucro se comprometen a apoyar a los inmigrantes mientras persisten los temores a la deportación
Esta traducción fue generada utilizando inteligencia artificial y ha sido revisada por un hablante nativo de español; si bien nos esforzamos por lograr precisión, pueden ocurrir algunos errores de traducción. Para leer el artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.
Funcionarios del gobierno local y líderes de organizaciones sin fines de lucro afirman que siguen comprometidos con ayudar y apoyar a la comunidad inmigrante del condado de Santa Cruz mientras continúan los temores a la deportación.
Varios funcionarios, entre ellos el fiscal de distrito del condado de Santa Cruz, Jeff Rosell, y el sheriff Chris Clark, se unieron el martes en Aptos al representante Jimmy Panetta, cuyo distrito congresional representa a una gran mayoría del condado, para explicar cómo han continuado apoyando a los inmigrantes, quienes a menudo tienen miedo de solicitar servicios debido al temor de ser detenidos y deportados por funcionarios federales.
Panetta dijo que el temor “siempre presente” que muchos inmigrantes han sentido durante los últimos dos años fue provocado por las políticas federales de inmigración implementadas por la administración de Trump.
“Están afectando a los trabajadores esenciales que tenemos en nuestras comunidades. Están afectando al sistema de justicia penal,” dijo Panetta. “Y están afectando la confianza, no solo en nuestro sistema de justicia penal, sino en todas nuestras instituciones.”
Clark y Rosell señalaron que el condado de Santa Cruz no coopera con agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE). “Estamos aquí para cumplir con nuestra misión principal, y esa es la seguridad pública,” dijo Rosell.
En los últimos seis meses, Clark dijo que su departamento ha recibido menos de una docena de llamadas de cortesía de agentes de ICE para notificarles sobre sus actividades. Lookout informó anteriormente que funcionarios de inmigración han visitado el condado al menos 39 veces desde que comenzó la segunda administración de Trump sus esfuerzos de deportación.
No ha habido redadas a gran escala en el condado, como las que se han llevado a cabo en otras zonas del estado. En cambio, cualquier actividad migratoria reportada en la comunidad ha consistido en arrestos dirigidos contra personas específicas, dijo Clark.
Clark dijo a Lookout que su departamento decidió no solicitar alrededor de seis subvenciones federales porque estas exigirían que los beneficiarios interactuaran con funcionarios de inmigración. Las subvenciones variaban en monto y estaban relacionadas con aspectos como equipos y vigilancia comunitaria, explicó Clark.
“Antes las veíamos sin condiciones,” dijo Clark. “Ahora las estamos viendo con condiciones vinculadas al cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración. Obviamente, no vamos a participar en eso.”
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark speaks at the county courthouse in November 2024. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
El año pasado, Clark se comprometió a no volver a solicitar una subvención que proporcionaba a funcionarios federales información sobre personas indocumentadas encarceladas en las cárceles del condado de Santa Cruz. Confirmó a Lookout que sigue comprometido con esa promesa.
Con el inicio del año escolar este mes, el superintendente de escuelas del condado, Farris Sabbah, está asegurando a las familias que las escuelas de todo el condado son espacios seguros para ellas, independientemente de su estatus migratorio. Sabbah agregó que los agentes federales no han intentado realizar arrestos en las escuelas ni cerca de ellas.
“Incluso cuando los estudiantes están físicamente presentes, ese miedo los sigue hasta el salón de clases y puede dificultar que se concentren, participen, se relacionen con los demás, se enfoquen en el aprendizaje y tengan éxito,” dijo Sabbah.
Otros líderes comunitarios, como Erica Padilla-Chavez, directora ejecutiva de Second Harvest, recordaron a la comunidad inmigrante que los recursos que ofrecen sus organizaciones siguen estando disponibles. Padilla-Chavez agregó que el banco de alimentos ofrece servicios de entrega a domicilio para las familias que podrían tener miedo de salir de sus casas.
Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez addressed local media following deep federal funding cuts in 2025. Credit: Cat Cutillo / Lookout Santa Cruz
La conferencia de prensa del martes fue una continuación de una reunión celebrada en enero, en la que funcionarios locales dijeron que estaban comprometidos a proteger a los residentes más vulnerables del condado de las redadas migratorias, tras las acciones violentas de agentes de inmigración en Minneapolis.
Desde entonces, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Santa Cruz aprobó una ordenanza que prohíbe a los agentes de ICE utilizar instalaciones propiedad del condado, como edificios, estacionamientos y parques, con fines de aplicación de las leyes de inmigración. Otras ciudades e instituciones, como la ciudad de Watsonville y Cabrillo College, aprobaron resoluciones similares a principios de este año.
El condado también se sumó en junio a una demanda presentada por el fiscal general de California, Rob Bonta, y el condado de Santa Clara, que busca impedir la construcción de una instalación federal de control migratorio planificada cerca de Gilroy.
The post Panetta, funcionarios locales y líderes de organizaciones sin fines de lucro se comprometen a apoyar a los inmigrantes mientras persisten los temores a la deportación appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
Tuesday morning traffic: Highway 9 lane closures in San Lorenzo Valley for work
Here’s what’s happening on Santa Cruz County roads this morning…
▼︎ new incidents
Road incidents as of 6 a.m. on August 11- Highway 9 at Cascade Avenue in the San Lorenzo Valley has one-way traffic due to ongoing work. This closure is expected to last until Aug. 31.
- Alternating lanes are closed on Highway 9 at Riverdale Park in the San Lorenzo Valley because of bridge work. The closure is expected to last until April 30, 2027.
Disclosure: Traffic incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
The post Tuesday morning traffic: Highway 9 lane closures in San Lorenzo Valley for work appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
Can steam replace chemical fumigants? Watsonville berry growers will put it to the test
The Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commission is testing out a high-temperature steam alternative to chemical fumigants on five berry fields in Watsonville beginning in September as part of a three-month pilot program.
¿Puede el vapor reemplazar a los fumigantes químicos? Los productores de berries de Watsonville lo pondrán a prueba
Esta traducción fue generada utilizando inteligencia artificial y ha sido revisada por un hablante nativo de español; si bien nos esforzamos por lograr precisión, pueden ocurrir algunos errores de traducción. Para leer el artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.
Cinco productores de berries de Watsonville probarán una alternativa a los fumigantes químicos del suelo en sus campos como parte de un programa piloto de tres meses dirigido por la Oficina del Comisionado de Agricultura del condado.
El programa piloto busca explorar una alternativa no química a la fumigación del suelo mediante la inyección de vapor a alta temperatura para reducir las plagas del suelo, las semillas de malezas y los patógenos de las plantas, como hongos y bacterias, según David Sanford, comisionado de Agricultura del Condado de Santa Cruz.
Sanford dijo a Lookout que el programa piloto, con un presupuesto de $175,000, está financiado por el Departamento de Regulación de Pesticidas de California. Añadió que este método agrícola alternativo existe desde hace años y continúa siendo objeto de investigación.
“Los aspectos de ingeniería son realmente complicados,” dijo Sanford. “Es difícil familiarizarse con las máquinas que son funcionales y que realmente funcionan. Esto todavía está en proceso de desarrollo y sigue teniendo un fuerte componente de investigación.”
Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner David Sanford in September 2023. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz / Lookout Santa Cruz
El equipo utilizado actualmente para este método agrícola funciona a pequeña escala, y se está trabajando en tecnología que permita adaptarlo a la agricultura comercial, dijo Sanford. Como parte del programa piloto del condado, explicó que trabajarán con personas que están comenzando a construir equipos a escala comercial: grandes sistemas de vapor que utilizan tanques de propano para calentar el agua.
Históricamente, esta técnica se ha utilizado en Europa y, en ocasiones, en viveros y para la esterilización del suelo, dijo Sanford. “Pero llevarla a nivel de campo es un proyecto mucho más grande,” señaló.
Los productores participantes cultivan principalmente fresas, con la excepción de un campo de frambuesas. Se trata de parcelas pequeñas y el programa se enfocará en zonas donde existe una alta combinación de áreas agrícolas y urbanas. Sanford añadió que algunos de los productores participantes también se encuentran a menos de un cuarto de milla de escuelas.
Grupos como Campaign for Organic Regenerative Agriculture (CORA) y Safe Ag Safe Schools llevan mucho tiempo promoviendo prácticas agrícolas más seguras y han presionado a Driscoll’s —el mayor productor de berries de la región— para que convierta en orgánicos todos sus campos cercanos a escuelas y zonas residenciales.
Los grupos también han exigido que las autoridades locales y estatales establezcan zonas de amortiguamiento más amplias entre áreas sensibles, como escuelas y viviendas, y los campos agrícolas.
Sanford dijo que el programa piloto representa un “avance positivo,” ya que el condado está explorando una técnica agrícola alternativa que no utiliza fumigantes químicos, a diferencia de los métodos más tradicionales.
Sheeting in a strawberry field outside Watsonville. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
Kathleen Kilpatrick, integrante de Safe Ag Safe Schools, dijo en un comunicado de prensa la semana pasada que la organización comunitaria apoya la exploración de alternativas no químicas en campos cercanos a escuelas y espera que programas piloto como este “proporcionen herramientas para reducir el uso de pesticidas y ampliar las zonas de amortiguamiento orgánicas.”
El condado también está colaborando con Jenny Brome, investigadora de UC Santa Cruz que tiene experiencia en el estudio de prácticas agrícolas alternativas, para dirigir el componente de investigación del programa, dijo Sanford. Añadió que Brome está interesada en analizar datos sobre el rendimiento de los cultivos y explorar qué tan viable es este método para controlar las plagas del suelo.
Sanford dijo que su departamento tiene como objetivo comenzar el programa piloto el próximo mes y que la mayor parte de la recopilación de datos se llevará a cabo durante ese primer mes.
Además, la Oficina del Comisionado de Agricultura organizará un par de reuniones informativas para explicar el programa piloto a los miembros de la comunidad y, una vez que haya datos disponibles, analizar qué aspectos han funcionado. La primera reunión está programada para el 18 de agosto a las 5:30 p. m., en la Sala Comunitaria Greg Caput del South County Government Center, ubicada en 500 Westridge Dr., Watsonville.
The post ¿Puede el vapor reemplazar a los fumigantes químicos? Los productores de berries de Watsonville lo pondrán a prueba appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue is starting to look like Everywhere Else
Pacific Avenue once embodied Santa Cruz’s quirky, community-driven spirit, writes UC Santa Cruz student and aspiring writer Carly Pavlin. As chain retailers, including Anthropologie, replace longtime local institutions, she fears that identity is beginning to fade. Here, Pavlin reflects on the downtown she fell in love with four years ago — and asks what kind of city Santa Cruz is becoming. Is Pacific Avenue still Santa Cruz, or is it starting to look like everywhere else?
California craft liquor delivery is about go away thanks to big-money lobbying
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for its newsletters.
For six years, Californians have been able to shake up a craft cocktail at home using alcohol delivered to their doorstep. Now, it’s last call for the distillery deliveries, unless lawmakers intervene by the end of this month.
That’s unlikely, thanks to opposition from California’s wine industry, Teamsters union truck drivers and corporate alcohol wholesalers and distributors.
The influential, well-funded groups lobbied the Legislature behind closed doors this year to block legislation that would have made permanent pandemic-era rules that allowed craft distillers to ship spirits directly to their customers.
During the pandemic shutdowns, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that allowed craft distillers to ship spirits to their customers’ homes. In the years since, lawmakers passed temporary laws allowing craft distillers — defined as those that produce up to 150,000 gallons a year — to keep shipping their spirits.
The latest extension expires Dec. 31.
“I don’t have a lot of hope that we’re going to be able to salvage this,” said Folsom Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover. He tried unsuccessfully this year to amend one of his bills to let small distillers continue shipping directly to their customers.
The groups blocking Hoover’s proposal have spent more than $1 million lobbying the Legislature and state government this year. They have donated at least 11 times that much to California politicians and their campaigns over the years.
The craft distillers, who have spent a fraction as much on state politics, say all that spending from the opposition, particularly from corporate liquor distributors, appears to have paid off.
Cris Steller, owner of Dry Diggins Distillery, talks about the various products made in his El Dorado Hills distillery. Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters
Bottles are filled with whiskey in the bottling area of Dry Diggins Distillery in El Dorado Hills. Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters
“They went directly to legislators’ offices and basically torpedoed any effort we came up with,” said Cris Steller, acting executive director of the California Distillers Association and the owner of Amador and Dry Diggings Distillery in El Dorado Hills, a family-run business that makes whiskey, brandy, vodka and gin.
The fight is about more than whether Californians can have a bottle of whiskey or gin delivered. It illustrates how decisions are made in Sacramento, where wealthy and powerful interests can shape or kill policy in secret negotiations with lawmakers. Politicians, in turn, benefit when proposals die quietly because they don’t have to explain their decisions to voters.
Opponents insist they aren’t using the political system to crush competitors as national alcohol sales slump.
Instead, representatives of the major alcohol wholesalers and distributors that stock shelves at liquor retailers say they oppose the proposal because it primarily benefits out-of-state companies and weakens safeguards that include preventing alcohol deliveries to minors.
Teamsters lobbyist Matt Broad said the labor group’s truck drivers aren’t opposed to allowing craft distillers to ship their product. They just want them to use established shipping companies that have actual employees, including those that employ Teamsters, such as UPS. Those companies, Broad said, have standards to ensure liquor is delivered legally.
Federal law preempts California from mandating hiring unionized truck drivers, Broad said.
“We are absolutely not opposed to the little guys being able to ship directly to consumers, and in fact, we have a track record of supporting the proposal but with meaningful guardrails that protect our members and protect the public,” he told CalMatters.
The California wine industry, which has been allowed to ship bottles directly to customers in California for decades, isn’t necessarily opposed, either. But its representative says wine sellers are leery of giving little alcohol sellers delivery rights when big liquor companies deserve the same. Wineries of any size can ship to their customers in California.
Big booze, big labor spend bigThe U.S. Postal Service prohibits most alcohol shipments to homes, but California allows certain types of alcohol sellers to use private shipping companies. Breweries are prohibited from shipping directly to California customers.
Hoover hoped his Assembly Bill 2211, a proposal to give craft distillers the ability to offer tastings and sell spirits at locations other than their distilleries, could be amended to give craft distillers a permanent direct-to-consumer provision.
It has advanced through the Legislature without formal opposition or any lawmaker voting against it, according to CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database. The measure is pending before the full Senate.
There might be no formal opposition, but reports filed with the California secretary of state show an extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying effort aimed at preventing any changes.
At least six groups, including some of the biggest national alcohol distributors, have reported lobbying on Hoover’s bill.
The reports show those groups spent more than $1 million on lobbying this year. State ethics laws only require entities to report the total amount they spent lobbying the government in a year. They’re not required to report how much they spent on specific legislation, so it’s unclear how much they spent trying to influence lawmakers as they considered AB 2211 and its never-published direct-shipping amendment.
Those groups, along with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Wine Institute, have given at least $11 million to both Democrats and Republicans in California since 2000, according to Digital Democracy, including at least $738,000 since 2025, the start of the current two-year legislative session.
By comparison, California’s craft distillers reported spending $54,000 on lobbying this year.
They reported just three donations to lawmakers in the past decade, according to Digital Democracy. One was a $42 bottle of whiskey in 2022 to former Napa Democratic Sen. Bill Dodd, who now lobbies on behalf of the craft distillery industry. In 2023, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, whose district includes part of Santa Cruz County, received $215 in tequila. Democratic Assemblymember-turned U.S. Rep. Adam Gray received a $1,300 campaign donation in 2016.
Hoover said he has been trying since last year to add language to his bill that would allow craft distillers to permanently keep shipping. He succeeded last year in getting the extension that expires Dec. 31, but this year he’s been unable to overcome the opposition to expanding the tasting room measure.
“I’m always open to figuring this out, if there’s a way that we can make this work. … but I don’t have a lot of hope that this bill is going to preserve those provisions this year,” he said.
With less than a month left before the Legislature finishes for the year on Aug. 31, Democratic leaders would likely need to sign off on changes to Hoover’s tasting room measure. They’ve offered little indication they intend to intervene for craft distillers.
Rivas, who’s received at least $108,000 in donations over the years from opponents of Hoover’s unpublished proposal, declined CalMatters’ request for an interview. Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, who’s received at least $33,000, responded to an interview request with an emailed statement saying she is aware of the pending deadline.
“This bill will continue to work its way through the legislative process as intended,” it said.
Bottles of spirits produced by Dry Diggins Distillery in El Dorado Hills. Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters
Democratic Sen. Susan Rubio and her sister, Democratic Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, oversee the committees that regulate California’s alcohol industry. When Hoover’s measure passed through their committees, the chairs could have allowed Hoover to add the direct-to-consumer amendment. They did not.
Susan Rubio has received at least $65,000 in donations from the groups blocking the direct-shipping proposal, according to Digital Democracy. Blanca Rubio has received at least $129,000.
Sen. Rubio’s spokesperson, Giovanni Ruiz Reyes, responded to interview requests with emailed statements. The first said “conversations between stakeholders are ongoing” and that she “looks forward” to reviewing potential legislation.
Ruiz Reyes said in a second statement Thursday that she’s supported four previous extensions of the craft distiller shipping policy.
“There is currently no bill or amendment before the committee seeking another extension,” Ruiz Reyes said. “Accordingly, it would be inaccurate to suggest that Senator Rubio or the committee has blocked or refused to hear an extension when no such proposal is currently before the committee.”
Assemblymember Rubio didn’t return interview requests.
Fewer Americans are drinkingThe liquor industry is facing a nationwide decline as more Americans cut back on drinking.
In that difficult business climate, corporate liquor wholesalers and distribution companies lobbied “to obliterate competition,” said Dodd, the former state senator from wine country lobbying on behalf of craft distillers.
“We oppose any effort to make DTC [direct-to-consumer] permanent,” the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors and the California Family Beer Distributors wrote in a joint statement to CalMatters.
Craft distilleries’ direct shipping “was always meant to be temporary pandemic relief, and it’s expiring exactly as designed, six years later” said the groups, which represent local and national companies that move many of America’s best-known beer, wine and liquor brands. They argue that after the law expires, spirits can still be delivered to customers through services such as DoorDash. DoorDash is listed as a member of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America on its website.
The groups’ representative, Kevin Luckey, declined an interview request.
Steve Gross, president and CEO of the Wine Institute, said the wine industry has worked hard over the decades to have large and small wine sellers treated equally under California and national alcohol distribution laws. He said it would undermine his industry’s efforts if small distillers get delivery rights in California when large ones don’t have them.
“They have the option to go in and try and fight for a bill that we and others could also support,” Gross said. “They’ve chosen not to because those larger distillers are not their members.”
The Wine Institute is a lobbying group that represents more than 700 large and small wine sellers, including one of the world’s largest, Modesto-based Gallo Winery.
Craft distillers say they’ve tried to work with the groups blocking their bill to address their concerns, but they have gotten nowhere.
In the meantime, Steller, the El Dorado Hills distiller, has already started pulling back on shipping bottles to his customers because the Legislature won’t budge.
“I don’t want to keep putting money into a program that’s going to get yanked,” he said.
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