Biden to release oil from reserves
LEGO contest in Solvang
Critics say that’s too little, too late, in the fight against gas prices - A3
Top builders to construct their interpretations of city’s Danish bakeries - B1
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Back from Poland
SB redistricting panel picks map
Santa Barbara caregiver talks about his trip to help his fellow Ukrainians
Commission recommends boundaries for city council areas By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
downtown area without crossing the freeway. District 1 has a Latino citizen voting-age population (CVAP) of 50.4% whereas District 3 has a Latino CVAP of 43.4%. The minority CVAP for District 3 is 50%. Population deviation refers to the difference in population sizes among districts. The current district map for Santa Barbara has a population deviation of nearly 20%, much higher than the 10% threshold deemed to be constitutional, according to demographer Daniel Phillips. Judge Elizabeth Allen White first nominated the map as the plan to be recommended to the city, saying it “seems to address all the factors we need to look at.” “It’s geographically contiguous, there is an undivided community of interest, there are easily identifiable boundaries, it’s compact and in compliance with Banales,” Judge White said, referring to a stipulated judgment that says the intent should include two electoral districts where Latinos make up a majority of the eligible voters. “We’re minimizing the shifting of voters between districts,” Judge White continued.
The Santa Barbara Independent Redistricting Commission has chosen a district map that will be recommended to the city. The map features updated boundaries for the districts, which elect members of the Santa Barbara City Council. At its meeting Wednesday, the three-judge panel unanimously picked the DEC Community of Interest Plan. It has a total population deviation of 7.4%. Under this map, District 1 is focused on the Eastside community but does have a presence on State Street and East Beach, including the Funk Zone. District 2 includes the Mesa and keeps all of West Beach. That district extends east of Modoc Road. District 3 includes the Westside as well as La Cumbre Junior High School and the Westside Neighborhood Center. District 4 includes a small coastal presence and is centered on the Riviera. District 5 also has a small coastal presence but remains largely in the upper State Street area and includes the airport. District 6 includes the Please see REDISTRICTING on A4
Lozano’s name to stay on ballot
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
“I just went (to Poland) because I saw there was a lot of people coming in,” said Santa Barbara caregiver Dennis Snitskiy, whom the NewsPress photographed recently at Stearns Wharf. “I just went there to see how I could help.”
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF-WRITER
Dennis Snitskiy can’t help but think of the adage: “War brings out the worst and the best in people.” It’s a phrase that reverberated through his mind as he dropped everything to journey to Poland earlier this month, bags
laden with bandages and pain medication and other medical supplies, to help as refugees fled Ukraine. He rented a car, ferrying supplies among various refugee organizations around Kraków, and transported families to safety outside of the city. The war — and the ensuing refugee crisis — is personal for Mr. Snitskiy. He was born and
raised in Ukraine, living for about a decade in Kyiv before moving to Santa Barbara eight years ago. In recent months, Mr. Snitskiy has watched from halfway across the world as his home is invaded and attacked by Russia. Some of the people crossing the border into Poland now, Mr. Snitskiy said, are his friends. “I just went (to Poland) because
I saw there was a lot of people coming in,” Mr. Snitskiy said in an interview with the NewsPress earlier this week upon his return to Santa Barbara. “I just went there to see how I could help. It’s logistical things like … transporting people from point A to point B, bringing medical Please see SNITSKIY on A4
Assembly passes Cunningham-sponsored billto mitigate human trafficking By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF-WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO
Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham
The Assembly unanimously passed legislation Thursday meant to cut down on human trafficking in the hotel industry throughout the state. AB 1788, co-authored by Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, would allow city and district attorneys to seek civil penalties on hotel and motel owners if supervisors knowingly or willfully ignored trafficking in their establishments without contacting law enforcement, a national trafficking hotline or a victims support group. “Human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime in the United States, and it is happening in hotels and motels throughout all parts of California,” said Assemblymember Cunningham,
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whose district includes northern Santa Barbara County. “AB 1788 will give local prosecutors another tool to save trafficking victims and punish those who try to provide traffickers with a safe haven.” The bill passed the Assembly 65-0. Assemblymember Cunningham said he hoped to see the bill move through the Senate and get the governor’s signature so district and city attorneys can begin to utilize this to crack down on trafficking in “shady hotels and motels.” “What we’ve seen is there’s a gap in enforcement between the federal and local levels,” Assemblymember Cunningham told the News-Press. “I think it’s going to be a great tool in the arsenal as we continue our fight against human trafficking.” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher praised
Assemblymember Cunningham and Assemblymember Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, the joint author on the bill, for their work. “Republicans are leading the way in fighting sex trafficking,” Assemblymember Gallagher said on social media. The bill is supported by Crime Victims United, the Children’s Advocacy Institute, the California State Sheriff’s Association, the California District Attorneys’ Association, Concerned Women for America and more. It was tweaked from an earlier version to address concerns from the hotel industry and build a bigger support system, Assemblymember Cunningham said. Assemblymember Cunningham is a former San Luis Obispo prosecutor. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Christy Lozano’s name will remain on the ballot in the Santa Barbara County superintendent of schools race. Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Colleen Sterne ruled this week that Ms. Lozano, a Santa Barbara Unified School District teacher, is qualified to run for Santa Barbara County superintendent of schools despite a lawsuit filed by former Democratic consultant Mollie Culver. Ms. Culver and her attorney, Richard Rios, had contended Ms. Lozano didn’t have an administrative services credential. But Ms. Lozano and her lawyer, John Thyne, argued she’s qualified to serve as county superintendent of schools because of her certificate of eligibility for an administrative services credential. The ruling upheld a decision by Joseph Holland, the registrar of voters, that Ms. Lozano is qualified to run. “We won (the court decision) because it is a fundamental right of every qualified citizen to run for public office, and I am totally qualified for the position of superintendent,” Ms. Lozano told the News-Press Thursday in a statement. Ms. Lozano is campaigning against Dr. Susan Salcido, who’s running for re-election to the position she has held since 2017. “I am happy that Judge Sterne,
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Christy Lozano
who focused only on the law, found that the voters should be the ones who decide elections instead of politically motivated operatives and their attorneys,” Ms. Lozano said. “I am grateful for the support of the many parents, students, neighbors and friends, as well as my own attorney John Thyne, who continues to support me in my campaign to bring common sense leadership focused on our children’s best interests to the school system,” Ms. Lozano said. Judge Sterne’s decision came on Wednesday, the day before ballots needed to be finalized for printing for the June 7 primary election. email: dmason@newspress.com
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 5-10-16-26-43 Meganumber: 24
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 5-9-2-3
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 7-22-36-45-47 Meganumber: 12
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 12-17-18-23-35
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-01-12 Time: 1:43.76
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 3-7-21-31-37 Meganumber: 11
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 1-6-2 / Wednesday’s Midday 0-8-8