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Mike Stoker launches Assembly bid Former supervisor and EPA official seeks 37th District seat By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF-WRITER
Mike Stoker, a former Santa Barbara County supervisor and Environmental Protection Agency official, launched a bid for state Assembly Friday. He announced his candidacy outside on the steps of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse with his wife Debi and Brooks Firestone by his side. During a News-Press interview before the announcement, Mr. Stoker said he had planned to enjoy retirement. But he said he had been approached by Republican leaders in the area who “strongly urged” him to consider the Assembly seat. He added that his wife made a convincing argument: “People that complain about what the government is doing really don’t have a right to complain unless they do whatever it is to make a change.” So Mr. Stoker decided to jump into the 37th district race. The seat is newly opened following the 2020 Census and redistricting. Assemblymember Steve Bennett, DVentura, has been drawn into the 38th District. “California is worth fighting for and worth saving,” Mr. Stoker, 66, told the News-Press. Mr. Stoker was a member of the Santa Barbara County County Board of Supervisors from 1986-1994, served as chairman of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board from 1995-2000 and worked as the California deputy secretary of state from 2000-2002. Mr. Stoker previously led the EPA’s Region 9, which covers California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and the Pacific islands, during the Trump administration. He was dismissed from his duties after less than two years and was subsequently appointed by the White House to serve as the U.S. representative on the Western Interstate Nuclear Energy Board. Mr. Stoker said he believes his record underscores he is a pro-business candidate who supports the environment. He said he opposes COVID-19 mandates and regulations that could be detrimental to businesses. A self-described “libertarian Republican,” Mr. Stoker also touted support he’s already received from law enforcement and vowed not to back any socalled “defund the police” proposals in the California Legislature should he get elected. Please see STOKER on A4
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Mike Stoker launches his campaign Friday to run for California Assembly Friday at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
Bill would revoke tax-exempt status of nonprofits that supported Jan. 6 attack By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE
(The Center Square) – Nonprofit organizations that participated or aided in the Jan. 6, 2020 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol or support future attempts to overthrow a democraticallyelected government would lose their California tax-exempt status under the full text of a first-in-thenation bill introduced by a state lawmaker on Thursday. The “No Tax Exemption for Insurrection Act,” introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would allow a nonprofit organization’s taxexempt status to be revoked if the state’s Attorney General determines the organization has “actively engaged in, or incited the active engagement in, acts or conspiracies defined as criminal under specified federal law.” According to Sen. Wiener’s office, this includes acts such as treason, insurrection, seditious conspiracy or advocating for an overthrow of the government or the government of any State. The bill states that if the office of the Attorney General determines that a nonprofit has engaged or incited one of these acts, it would be required to notify the Franchise Tax Board, which would then revoke their California tax-exempt status. “The January 6 insurrection is a stain on our democracy, and we must ensure nothing like it ever happens again,” Sen. Wiener said in a statement. “Under no circumstance should we provide tax subsidies to organizations that engage in or incite insurrection. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right. Insurrectionist organizations should never benefit from that privilege.” The bill comes as investigations
regarding the Capitol insurrection – which left five dead and many injured – remain ongoing. According to Politico’s data tracker, more than 725 people have been arrested for crimes tied to the Capitol insurrection, and about 87 of those have been sentenced as of Jan. 21. Sen. Wiener says that nonprofit organizations have claimed the 2020 election was stolen “to fundraise for and funnel money to extremist and anti-democratic initiatives,” including the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. He said that organizations – including California nonprofits and nonprofits registered outside the state that raise money in California – have used faulty claims about the 2020 election to fundraise millions in tax-exempt donations. “These organizations, which are fundamentally undermining our democracy and cheering for the destruction of free and fair elections in America, should not be allowed to operate with advantages like tax-exempt status,” Sen. Wiener’s office wrote in a press release. Existing federal and California law dictates that organizations who support or engage in terrorist activity can have their taxexempt status suspended. Sen. Wiener’s office said that this bill would dictate that nonprofits who “support insurrection should receive the same treatment.” The bill is co-authored by Senators Josh Becker, DPeninsula, Dave Min, D-Irvine, and Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, is a principal co-author. The bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee, according to the state’s legislative database.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
The new owners of Harbor Restaurant and Longboard Grill plan to do some renovation and add more seafood dishes.
Harbor Restaurant’s new owners discuss their plans By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
During the announcement, Mike Stoker is flanked by his wife Debi and Brooks Firestone. Mr. Stoker said his wife encouraged him to run.
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Francisco Ibanez and Gene Sanchez are the new owners of the Harbor Restaurant and Longboard Grill, one of Santa Barbara’s most iconic restaurants. The owners, who plan to keep the restaurant’s name, told the News-Press Friday they plan to renovate the 1,200-square foot building, add more seafood and
low-calorie dishes, and do more to attract the nightlife crowd. Mr. Ibanez said they want to “revive, remodel and refresh.” Harbor Restaurant and Longboard Grill, a recognizable dining destination on Stearns Wharf, has been owned for more than four decades by Dave Perry and the Scott Family. The waterfront restaurant is known for its popular food, Please see RESTAURANT on A4
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