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Starting next year, Californians who provide legal aid, counseling or other types of assistance to immigrants will be eligible for a privacy program that keeps their addresses confidential and out of public records.

Gov. Gavin Newsom approved this latest expansion of California’s Safe at Home program amid concern among Democratic legislators of a rise in reported harassment and threats against immigrants and immigration advocates.

Some Republican lawmakers fiercely opposed the measure, arguing that it stifles constitutional protections of a free press. The dispute came to a head last week in a verbal altercation involving Terry Schanz, the chief of staff of Democratic Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, and Nick Shirley, a conservative social media influencer and outspoken critic of the new law.

In a recording distributed widely on social media, Schanz confronted Shirley outside of the state Capitol and accused Shirley of having a small penis. Officials from the Assembly would not comment on whether Schanz could face discipline over the exchange.

The law goes into effect Oct. 1, 2027. Here’s what you need to know:

What does the privacy law do?

Under the new law — Assembly Bill 2624 — immigration support services providers, employees and volunteers can enroll in the state’s Safe at Home Program. The program lets participants, and family members in their households, keep their home addresses confidential and out of public records by providing an alternative mailing address through the California secretary of state. Participants can also vote confidentially.

The law also prohibits a “person, business, or association” from knowingly posting on the internet the address, image or personal information of program participants (as well as their spouse or child) with the intent to “incite a third person to cause imminent great bodily harm to those individuals.”

A person found in violation of the law could be fined $4,000 in civil damages.

“We heard directly from organizations whose staff and volunteers have been doxxed, harassed, followed and filmed at their workplaces and threatened, with that harassment sometimes reaching their families at home,” said Bonta during the measure’s final floor vote in the Legislature last week.

“These are not hypothetical concerns. No one should have to fear that doing their job will put their family at risk.”

What is the Safe at Home program?

California’s Safe at Home program was established nearly 30 years ago to protect the identities of domestic violence victims. Since then, the state expanded eligibility to include victims of stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking and elder abuse, as well as to people who work in reproductive healthcare and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials.

Last year, California passed a law expanding it to people who work in gender-affirming healthcare. That law also includes similar provisions prohibiting people from knowingly posting on the internet images or personal information of program participants.

Though the bill advanced through the Legislature mostly on a party-line vote, it received bipartisan support in the Assembly’s public safety and judiciary committees, and two Republican lawmakers voted for it in its initial floor vote in the Assembly.

How can I enroll in it?

Individuals must reside in California and make an appointment with a designated enrolling agency, where they will meet with an application assistant and complete the application process. During this process, potential participants must provide evidence that they have received credible threats of violence — which can include police reports or court documents. Submitting false information may result in a misdemeanor.

Application materials are then sent to and reviewed by the Safe at Home program. Once approved, applicants receive an official identification card for business or public use, which includes the alternative mailing address. By law, state and local agencies must accept the address on this ID card, but private entities, businesses and the federal government are not required to honor it.

Enrollment is good for four years with the option to renew afterward.

Why did Republicans vote against the law?

Republican legislators and other conservatives are threatening to challenge the law in court, saying it violates the First Amendment. GOP Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego, one of the biggest opponents of the legislation, dubbed it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” alleging that its true purpose is to intimidate journalists like Shirley, and limit their ability to investigate organizations for fraud, waste and abuse.

In 2025, one of Shirley’s videos accused child care centers in Minnesota of widespread fraud, preceding a wave of federal immigration enforcement activity in the state. He also visited several Somali-run day care centers in San Diego in February, where he claimed owners of running “ghost facilities” with no children present.

“They’ve essentially created a protected class by calling this group — the immigration support service providers — saying that I and you cannot expose them,” Shirley said during a rally Wednesday outside the state Capitol in Sacramento.

“None of our money should be going towards illegal migrants, nor should it be going towards the nonprofits that are funded by your tax dollars.”

Jenny Rae Le Roux, a Republican candidate for California’s 47th congressional district, said the law is redundant because it’s already illegal to incite violence. Its language, like the use of the word “image,” is also too overly broad.

Le Roux said she wants to be the first person arrested or fined under the law as she pledges to investigate government spending.

“We will double down on our efforts … to expose waste, fraud and corruption wherever we find it, including immigration service providers,” she said at the rally. “And if Gavin Newsom doesn’t like it, he can come arrest me himself.”

Bonta disagrees with this characterization, saying that the law does not shield organizations from accountability or public scrutiny. Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat and proponent of the law, also pointed out during the floor vote that no news organization has come out to challenge the measure.

“The opposition to AB 2624 has not come from them,” Pellerin said. “It has come from bad faith actors looking for an available vehicle to smear immigrant communities and the people who serve them.”

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Companies backing data center construction are flooding Sacramento with cash, hoping to stop or defang seven bills that would regulate the facilities as they head toward approval in the California Legislature this week.

The pro-data-center spenders include Big Tech companies like Amazon and AI titan Anthropic. But they are led, dollar-wise, by old school utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric, which earlier this year clocked its second biggest lobbying quarter since 1999.

The financial push comes a year after four bills that attempted to regulate data centers died or were diluted after lobbying from the industry. But as artificial intelligence fuels an unprecedented facility buildout, public backlash is transforming data center construction into a major issue for candidates in upcoming elections.

A May Gallup poll found seven in 10 Americans oppose data center construction in their communities, while a Public Policy Institute of California poll in July found similar opposition statewide. Rising public anxiety over utility costs, water use, and grid strain has driven California lawmakers to propose strict new data center rules — igniting a high-stakes lobbying push by the industry.

Hundreds of cities have considered or passed project bans this year, including in Monterey Park, where voters passed a ballot measure to permanently ban data centers, and Bay Area cities like Pittsburg, which backtracked on approvals following public outcry.

“The level of concern and sensitivity is through the roof.”
— California Sen. Steve Padilla, on data center policy

State law requires businesses and groups that engage in lobbying to report their overall quarterly spending, but does not require a breakdown of exactly how much is being spent on each bill. An analysis by CalMatters of lobbying activity for the first six months of 2026 found that utilities, tech companies and their proxies have spent millions of dollars lobbying state lawmakers, with data center bills emerging as a primary focus.

By Monday, it will be clear which bills made it out of the Legislature and onto Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for signature or veto by the end of September.

The fate of the measures could have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only data center development but environmental regulation, utility rates, and how freely California’s tech giants can operate in the state. Nationally, advocates and lawmakers agree that California’s regulation around data centers could be an important bellwether for how similar fights will play out elsewhere.

“The level of awareness is through the roof, and the level of concern and sensitivity is through the roof — it’s bipartisan, it’s national, and it’s across the board,” California Sen. Steve Padilla, a Democrat from Chula Vista who is author of two pending data center bills, told CalMatters.

Who is lobbying on data centers

During the first half of 2026, Amazon paid more than $500,000 to lobby lawmakers on 33 pieces of legislation, including several data center bills and matters related to antitrust and artificial intelligence. Amazon spent more than $1.7 million lobbying in California last year.

Meanwhile, AI company Anthropic, which sent its first lobbyists to Sacramento last year, has spent nearly $90,000 to influence decisions made by the California Legislature so far this year and, according to the Financial Times, nearly tripled its federal lobbying spend in the same time period. Last year, Anthropic spent over $200,000 lobbying in the state.

Although Anthropic paid a lobbyist to influence lawmakers decisionmaking on data centers, a spokesperson said the company does not support or oppose any specific bills in California. The company, the spokesperson said, is also interested in working with lawmakers “on AI safety and other relevant issues.” Representatives for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from CalMatters.

Utility giant PG&E’s latest filing shows that it spent $2.86 million lobbying in California between April and June — its second highest quarter since 1999 (only surpassed since then by 2018, the year of the deadliest wildfire in state history, later linked to its equipment). A spokesperson for PG&E said the company has engaged on a “broad scope” of issues facing the industry during this legislative session, adding that “less than 5% of our spending was on data-center related issues,” amounting to approximately $143,000.

Groups acting as proxies for data center operators and tech companies have been especially active this year in California’s capitol, critics say. Business interests say they are trying to ground policy conversations in reality. Lobbyists and other visitors gather in the rotunda of the state Capitol during the end of session in Sacramento on Sept. 12, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Other utilities, like Southern California Edison, and unions representing utility workers, like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, have also invested in lobbying efforts on the bills.

Utilities providers are particularly motivated to influence bills because the development of new data centers represents a historic opportunity for expansion and grid upgrades, according to Matthew Freedman, senior staff attorney for The Utility Reform Network. Under the current regulatory framework, he said, the cost of expanding transmission lines is spread across all grid users, which means everyday consumers foot the bill.

But several of this year’s data center bills would change that, shifting costs back toward data center operators. “The groups that have been the strongest opponents of the bills this year include the proxies for the data centers and the tech companies,” Freedman said, referring to industry groups such as the Data Center Coalition, Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the California Chamber of Commerce. “They serve as a mouthpiece for the tech industry.”

Filings do not show that tech giants like Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft are lobbying lawmakers directly on data centers this session. Instead, the business groups Freedman referenced, which represent the Big Tech firms, carry the weight.

Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which represents companies including Apple and Amazon, has so far spent over $100,000 lobbying on bills including the various data center measures this year and is on track for its highest annual lobbying spend since tracking began in 2005.

The Data Center Coalition, which counts companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI among its members, has logged its second and third highest-ever spending quarters so far this year. It has spent roughly $60,000 lobbying state lawmakers and the governor’s office to voice opposition to nearly every bill that would regulate data centers.

The bills and the backlash

The measures before the Legislature this session include:

• Bills to shift electric infrastructure costs toward data center operators and away from residential customers: SB 1168, SB 886 and AB 2383.
• Bills mandating disclosures or estimates of water usage (and sometimes usage of other resources): AB 2619 and two bills that cleared the Legislature Thursday, AB 1577 and AB 2469.
• SB 887, which would require all data center projects to undergo environmental reviews and offer fast-tracked approval for facilities that meet standards for water and energy conservation.

Business interests opposed to the bills argue they would stifle tech companies’ ability to innovate and compete, tie up critical infrastructure in red tape and unfairly burden the construction of data centers versus the construction of other types of projects.

Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Ahmad Thomas told CalMatters that he sees public debate over data centers as fueled by “strong anti-AI sentiment,” and that industry groups like his aim to “ground the conversation in reality” about the ways consumers rely on data center infrastructure for everyday services.

Advocacy groups counter that transparency is vital to protect the environment and public resources, and that everyday consumers should not be affected by increased infrastructure and utilities costs.

Britt Smith, who is part of a community group organizing against a controversial $2 billion Amazon data center project in Gilroy south of San Jose, said corporate opponents of the bills are “spending so much because there’s so much at stake,” adding, “Our future, our safety, is not for sale.”

This robust fight stands in stark contrast to last year, when the only bill signed into law was stripped down to just a requirement for state energy regulators to publish an environmental impact study on data centers’ electricity demand. Newsom also vetoed a water usage disclosure bill, citing concerns that regulation could stifle AI growth.

Whether this year’s intensified lobbying will yield similar results remains uncertain, but lawmakers say shifting voter sentiment heading into the midterms has altered the political landscape.

“When you’re looking down the barrel of public outcry that says we don’t want [data centers] at all, and you’ve got localities that are saying they’re going to ban them, then you know the atmosphere has changed,” Assemblymember Diane Papan, a San Mateo Democrat who authored two of the bills, told CalMatters. Papan is also chair of the Water, Parks, and Wildlife committee in the Assembly. “We are in a totally different environment this year.”

Timothy “Tim” Carrick (born Schmidt)
May 1, 1967 – May 27, 2026

Timothy “Tim” Carrick, 59, of Eureka passed away peacefully at home on May 27, 2026, at 9:25 a.m., in the presence of his husband, Daniel, and Heather Parker.

Born Timothy Wade Schmidt on May 1, 1967 in Stockton to Dorothy Lemke, Tim lived a life marked by quiet strength, humor and deep loyalty. Tim and Daniel met in April 2002 and were married on July 7, 2013 in their backyard, seven months after buying their home in Eureka. They shared nearly 25 beautiful years together as each other’s best friend — a partnership built on love, rescue and mutual belief in one another. Together they faced life’s challenges with resilience and created a home filled with warmth and laughter.

Tim had a big heart and a love for simple pleasures, especially good music and the comfort of home. He truly enjoyed cooking and had a way of making his husband smile even on the hardest days. In his final chapter, he showed remarkable courage as he battled end-stage liver disease. He chose to spend his remaining time at home, surrounded by love and the familiar scents and sounds of the life they built together.

He was cared for every step of the way — through the hardest days of caregiving, the laughter, the tears, and the final peaceful moments — fulfilling their promise that Tim would pass at home in the house and the bed they shared.

Tim is preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Lemke, and his sister Ladonna (Lynn) Thornhill-Richter. He is survived by his husband Daniel Carrick of Eureka; his sisters Toni Schmidt, Candi Schmidt, Brandi Schmidt, and Margaret Mohr (née Hardy); his brother Mike Schmidt; his niece Kerrie Vigrass and nephew Daniel Sowles, all of the Sacramento, area; his best friend Autumn Bree “Spree” Haberland; and their beloved dog Cheston Matthew Carrick, whom Tim loved and insisted on naming with the middle name Matthew.

Many thanks to all the doctors, nurses, and caregivers of Hospice of Humboldt who were always there when needed, to Heather Parker (Daniel’s cousin), who was there through many issues and questions, to the neighbors and family who were there during and after, and to Ayers Family Cremation for their caring and professionalism.

Everett “Sonny” Harold Pritchett passed away peacefully at his home in Rio Dell on July 24, 2026, at the age of 82.

Sonny was born on February 17, 1944, in Fortuna to Homer and Ethyl Pritchett. The youngest of three children, he grew up in the Hydesville and Carlotta areas. His family later moved to Eureka, where he graduated from Eureka Senior High School. Following graduation, Sonny enlisted in the United States Navy, serving from 1962 to 1966. Assigned to the flight deck, he traveled the world before returning home to Humboldt County. Upon returning to civilian life, he worked alongside his father in construction, building custom homes all over the county.

In his younger years, Sonny had a wild side, riding his beloved Harley-Davidson motorcycle all over Humboldt, Mendocino and Lake County. The stories he shared about his single days will live in his family’s hearts forever. Sonny was also an avid hunter and fisherman. He was happiest out with his buddies at the lagoons or up at Ruth Lake. Later in life, he took up refurbishing old fishing reels, restoring them to mint condition. He loved hunting for treasures at local flea markets, knowing the exact value of every manufacturer and refusing to pay a penny more! Always close to his Cherokee heritage, he was a highly talented craftsman who made beautiful obsidian arrowheads. Sonny was passionate about genealogy, frequently diving down rabbit holes to trace his ancestry, which even connected him to ancient kings and rulers!

In 1971, he met the love of his life, Betty Roberts, on the very day the Samoa Bridge opened. They were married in 1972 and began their life together, raising their children, Bobbi and David.

Sonny spent many years working hard, long hours in the logging industry. He would go to the ends of the earth to provide for his family, moving them where the work was, before finally settling back home in Humboldt County. Sonny became a Millwright-and a darn good one. He worked for LP Flakeboard, Britt and others before settling at the Eel River Sawmill, where he made lifelong friends. Though he had a reputation for being a bit grumpy-a title his coworkers proudly labeled on his hard hat and locked-he was deeply respected.

After 30 years in the industry, heart issues and a quadruple bypass forced Sonny into retirement. Though doctors estimated he might have five more years if he was lucky, Sonny stubbornly went on to live another 25-plus years, thoroughly enjoying his life!

He was preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Ethyl Pritchett; his sisters, Joan and Jeanette; and his beloved wife, Betty (Roberts) Pritchett. He is survived by daughter Bobbi Beaver (Husband Terry Beaver), granddaughter Kaci Lynn Beaver (Fiancé Jeffrey Heflin), son David Pritchett, grandson Cameron Pritchett, granddaughter Stevie Pritchett, son James Hurt (Wife Laura Hurt) and Andrea Gresko of Missouri.

An Honor Guard military service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sept. 2 at the Blue Lake Cemetery, located at 750-756 Railroad Ave, Blue Lake. All who knew and loved Sonny are warmly welcome to attend.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Sonny Pritchett’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

On Friday, August 21, 2026, Officers with the California Highway Patrol Humboldt Area office in conjunction with Officers from the California Highway Patrol Northern Division Investigative Services Unit, served a warrant at a residence on Highway 36, within the unincorporated town of Alton. The warrant was related to a reckless driving investigation. Pursuant to the warrant, three vehicles were impounded, per California Vehicle Code 14602.7(a). The impounded vehicles are believed to have been utilized during multiple reckless driving incidents. This is an active investigation and anyone with further information is urged to contact the California Highway Patrol Humboldt Area office.

Reckless driving is incredibly dangerous to the public and will not be tolerated by the California Highway Patrol. The California Highway Patrol is committed to providing the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to the people of California.

PREVIOUSLY

• Phase One of Elk River’s ‘Ecosystem-Wide Restoration Project’ OK’d, Aims to Address Flooding

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Wetlands that drain into the Elk River are being reworked this summer, the first phase of an extensive restoration effort in the estuary.

A 40-acre area along Swain Slough, just south of Eureka and east of U.S. 101, is this year’s target in a broader effort to restore 857 acres of tidal marshes.

Construction on the Elk River Estuary Restoration Project began July 16. This summer, dikes are being removed and tidal channel networks are being restored.

“For the most part, we are attempting to just reoccupy the former alignment of tidal channel networks in the Elk estuary,” said Katy Gurin, project manager for conservation nonprofit CalTrout.

This, she said, will make a big difference for the creatures that live in the tidal area.

Like roughly 90% of historic tidelands along Humboldt Bay, the original system of waterways was lost. Across the bay, most tidelands were diked and drained for ranching, or as part of other development.

Gurin said habitat there is essential for fish, including coho salmon. These waterways serve as a nursery for young salmon who need to adjust to saltwater after living in the Elk River, the largest tributary to Humboldt Bay.

Restoring these first 40 acres will give more room for fish confined to narrow channels, she said. The edges of tidal channels give space for fish to eat bugs or for sensitive plants to grow.

“So many organisms in the estuary really rely on tidal channel networks, because it’s a good place to feed. It’s also a good place to duck out of high, fast flows,” she said.

The design also includes several ponds that birds will use.

The land was purchased by CalTrout from a rancher, who Gurin said faced failing infrastructure and pasture converting back to tidelands. Funding for land acquisitions in the project comes from the Coastal Conservancy.

It’s part of a managed retreat strategy employed by CalTrout. Willing landowners in areas vulnerable to sea level rise can use funds from land sales to buy agricultural land elsewhere, if they want.

“This is a really important strategy in many areas because there isn’t a real, feasible way to protect these lands from sea level rise,” said Gurin. She said dikes can be raised, but Humboldt Bay is seeing the highest relative rates of sea level rise in the state. Even with higher dikes, groundwater would still inundate the land in certain areas.

Eventually, the property will be transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and become publicly owned. 

Construction will wrap up this fall, followed by a revegetation phase in the winter and spring (including planting Humboldt Bay Owl’s clover, seeds of which were recently collected).

Many more years of restoration in this estuary are planned, including work on private property. The effort will reduce flooding of agricultural lands, according to CalTrout.

The entire Elk River estuary project area. Map via CalTrout.

“It’s just the first phase of a project that will have many more phases in the future, and is really going to transform the Elk estuary into a place that’s going to be much more abundant and healthy,” said Gurin.

A similar project just west was competed in recent years, undertaken by the city of Eureka. Diked and drained pastureland was restored to tidal habitat. A survey found 21 fish species and three crustacean species in the project area (including endangered and threatened species like the tidewater goby, longfin smelt and coho salmon).

Gurin noted this project, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also has an economic benefit to the community. Locals are hired for the work, and it helps an important commercial fish species and supports agriculture through flood control, she said.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On August 27, 2026, at approximately 10:30 a.m., officers with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) responded to the intersection of 7th and J Streets for a reported traffic collision involving a bicyclist and a vehicle.

Upon arrival, officers located the bicyclist lying in the roadway and unresponsive. The bicyclist had sustained major injuries as a result of the collision. Due to the severity of the injuries, members of EPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) and an investigator from EPD’s Fatal/Major Injury Traffic Collision Investigator Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

The initial investigation, which included statements from multiple witnesses, determined the following:

• The bicyclist was operating an electric bicycle.
• The bicyclist was traveling southbound on J Street in the northbound lane.
• The vehicle was traveling eastbound on 7th Street in the left-hand lane.
• The bicyclist failed to stop at the posted stop sign and subsequently collided with the vehicle.
• Witnesses reported seeing the bicyclist smoking from a tobacco vape prior to the collision.
• The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet.
• The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. His current condition is unknown at this time.

The collision remains under investigation by the Eureka Police Department. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact the Eureka Police Department at 707-441-4300.