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The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors engaged in a lengthy, fraught and at times testy discussion on Monday about how best to market our region to tourists while the county government is in the midst of a budget crisis.

The specific question on the table was whether the county should stop directing hotel bed tax revenues (aka transient occupancy taxes, or TOT) to the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau (HCVB), a nonprofit that has served as the county’s designated marketing organization since its establishment in 1979.

Ultimately, the board chose to extend its contract with the bureau for just six more months, a move that renders the long-term future of the organization uncertain while disappointing its board of directors and executive director, Julie Benbow.

The board also voted to allocate nearly $200,000 in tourism and marketing funds to the county’s own Office of Economic Development, which will use that money to conduct a marketing assessment in collaboration with local cities. 

Lastly, the board allocated $10,000 to the Loleta Chamber of Commerce and $25,000 to the McKinleyville Chamber of Commerce, with those funds coming from Measure J, a two percent increase in the county’s hotel bed tax, approved by voters in 2022.

In introductory remarks to the board, Scott Adair, the county’s director of economic development, said county staff, local stakeholders and the board itself have discussed these tourism and marketing matters “ad nauseam” over the past year. Staff’s recommendation was to sever ties with the HCVB now, meaning its contract would expire with the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

In recent months, an ad hoc committee of the board, composed of Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone and Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell, has met with local chambers of commerce, the HCVB and other stakeholders, and their recommendation was to redirect funds currently being spent on travel and tourism activities toward an in-depth marketing assessment in collaboration with local cities, tourism districts and partners in the private sector.

For the upcoming 2024-25 fiscal year, $639,712 has been budgeted for tourism and marketing services. The ad hoc committee decided that this isn’t enough money to support a robust marketing campaign and recommended spending that money instead on county-wide travel and tourism efforts. 

Another reason cited for cutting ties with the HCVB was this: The bureau has failed to meet it contractual obligation to regularly submit detailed financial reports to the county – this according to Adair, Bushnell, Madrone and County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes.

Bushnell defended the county’s pivot away from the HCVB, saying, “This in no way is a money grab … .This is really us trying to be responsible.”

Madrone said the county should improve collaboration with local municipal governments, adding that it’s “long overdue that we take a comprehensive view” of the various tourism marketing efforts in the region.

During the public comment period, a number of people spoke in defense of the HCVB, including leaders from local chambers of commerce. 

Benbow, the HCVB’s executive director, argued that her organization has met its contractual obligations, and she warned the board against cutting off its financial support. Doing so would sever important relationships that the bureau has formed with organizations across the country and destroy a reputation taken decades to build, she said.

“We believe that the county staff don’t have the professional tourism marketing expertise to effectively or efficiently replicate the many things that we currently do for Humboldt and its residents and its businesses,” Benbow said. “So we respectfully request that any decision made today, you do it knowing that it’s going to be a huge gamble.”

Ken Hamik, president of the HCVB board, also defended the organization. 

“By focusing on its mission, the bureau has been over-performing what the county has been investing … ,” he said. “We have the No. 1, by far, website in the county, the most visited by anybody, and it just cannot be recreated.”

When the matter came back to the board for discussion, First District Supervisor and board Chair Rex Bohn said he’s a big supporter of the HCVB and does not like the idea of throwing them out.

But Cody Roggatz, the county’s director of aviation, said his department has not gotten the support and partnership it needs from the HCVB. He also read from the organization’s contract with the county, saying that an obligation to hire an independent auditor to conduct an annual financial review has not been met.

Bushnell said she thinks Benbow and the HCVB have done a good job, “but frankly, there’s just not enough funding to market the county [in] the way it needs to be. … In our budget crisis that we’re having, we’re trying to look for ways to really be more efficient and to do a better job.”

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo agreed. “There’s just not enough in this pot to be effective,” she said.

As the meeting dragged into the lunch hour, things started to get a bit heated. Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson took issue with a suggestion from Madrone to give a bit more of the limited Measure J revenues to the McKinleyville and Loleta chambers of commerce. Micromanaging such funds while the board was trying to make a much larger decision “muddies the waters,” drawing the board into a complicated rabbit hole, Wilson said.

Peeved, Madrone said he’s been advocating for McKinleyville to get a larger slice of the pie for years, and he voiced frustration with organizations acting like they’re entitled to certain pots of money.

“I just feel very strongly that Loleta and McKinleyville absolutely should be getting some share from this,” he said. “These are not entitlements. They’re going to change in six months, so get over it.”

Bushnell made a motion to extend the county’s contract with the HCVB for six months but later withdrew it in frustration when it looked like she wasn’t getting support from the rest of the board.

Ultimately, Madrone wound up making a very similar motion, proposing to extend the county’s contract with the bureau for six months with an allocation of $145,589.50 while allocating $10,000 to the Loleta Chamber of Commerce and $25,000 to the McKinleyville Chamber of Commerce through the use of Measure J. The motion also called for $195,589.50 in tourism and marketing funds to be used for the marketing assessment.

Bohn voted against the measure because it called for a termination of the county’s relationship with the HCVB six months hence. But the other four board members voted yes, so the motion carried 4-1.

Reached after the decision Monday, Benbow said she felt positive about the amount of support the HCVB received from the community at the meeting and said she and her board are “thrilled” that they have six more months to come up with “creative and visionary strategies” to market the county.

She also suggested that the county may regret its decision to cut off the organization. 

”I know the Economic Development staff is not in any position to take over any of the professional marketing endeavors that we do,” she said. “They’re quite overstretched, and none of them have tourism marketing experience or the contacts that the bureau have developed over the years with national and international media.”

The bureau’s website gets more than 1.2 million visitors a year, she said.

The HCVB’s board of directors will meet in the next few days to discuss what comes next and exploring other potential revenue sources, Benbow said.

During today’s meeting, Arroyo mentioned the possibility of issuing a request for proposals from other agencies to take over tourism marketing, but Benbow said such a process would be long and involved.

Asked what the HCVB will do if this really is the end of the line for county financing, Benbow vowed to plough ahead.

“I think that because we have such a commitment to not letting the county residents and businesses down, we would do our utmost not to totally stop our services but to work with the county if we can to continue until they come up with a model that is different – or a replacement.”

Measure J revenues

Earlier in the meeting, in deliberations that were only marginally less contentious, the board divvied up $350,000 from Measure J revenues as follows: 

• $150,000 to the Ink People Center for the Arts for projects with an economic driver; 
• $100,000 set aside in a Housing Trust Fund;
• $45,000 to the Aviation Department to create a destination marketing budget for the Humboldt County Airport; 
• $30,000 to the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission as matching funds for the three-day, Star Wars-themed Forest Moon Festival; and
• $25,000 to the Economic Development Division for administrative costs to manage the above projects and contracts.

That $350,000 represents less than 40 percent of the $880,000 in projected Measure J revenues for the upcoming fiscal year, and the board voted to keep the remainder in the county’s General Fund as a rainy day investment.

“If it remains unallocated,” a staff report explains, “[those] funds will be available to help the county maintain essential services in future years … ; however should that not be needed, the funds will be available for additional tourism activities.”

Humboldt-Del Norte County Film Commissioner Cassandra Hesseltine made a pitch for more money, saying her small staff will be unable to throw the third annual Forest Moon Festival next year on “a shoestring budget.” She noted that the latest Apple iPhone 15 advertising campaign features Star Wars “costumers” headed to a convention, an indication of the ongoing popularity of the franchise.

Hesseltine also said that Academy Award-winning writer and director Alexander Payne recently approached the commission about the possibility of the Forest Moon Festival hosting the world premiere of a documentary about Irvin Kushner, director of 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back.

Leslie Castellano, Eureka city councilmember and executive director of the Ink People Center for the Arts, spoke on behalf of the Humboldt Creative Alliance, a group the includes the Ink People, Centro del Pueblo, Playhouse Arts and North Coast Repertory Theater.

Staff’s recommendation did not include any money set aside for a Housing Trust Fund, but Wilson advocated for it, saying that by simply setting the $100,000 aside with that earmark on it, the county will be able to qualify for state and federal housing development funding.

The rest of the board agreed, and the above-referenced funding amounts were approved unanimously.

Reached after the decision, Hesseltine said she feels compassion for county staff and the Board of Supervisors having to make tough financial decisions during the budget crisis. But still, the cut in funding to the film commission is “unfortunate.”

With a staff of just 2.5 full-time employees, the commission is already overworked, she said. The Forest Moon Festival has proved to be a success, “but now I have to spend more time on top of everything else to go hunt money,” Hesseltine said. “And that’s brutal because what do I give up?”

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Here’s video of the meeting, courtesy Access Humboldt:

On paper, it’s just a homeschool support program. But in practice, Ditch School aims to be more than that.

The bold acronym DITCH says it all: “Dare to Innovate and Transcend Cultural Hegemony.”

“The idea of hegemony is that the people that are in power – whether they’re the elite rich, or the big corporations, or whatever – they tell the rest of us a story that keeps them in power,” founder Jessica London Jacobs told the Outpost during an interview. “And I really believe that our K-12 education system is this hegemonic reality.” 

So Jacobs, a teacher and former Arcata resident, created Ditch School from her Topanga, Los Angeles home in 2010. This September, Jacobs is moving back to Arcata, and she’s bringing Ditch School with her. 

In a nutshell, Ditch School helps 10- to 18-year-olds “hack the system,” as one student said, by enrolling in community college classes and pursuing passion projects in lieu of middle or high school. Jacobs – who clarified that Ditch is a private educational support program and not a school – says many of her students are accepted to four-year universities years ahead of their peers. And recently, Jacobs and some students have become involved with innocence work, the effort to free wrongfully incarcerated people from prison. The model is so open-ended, Jacobs says, there is opportunity to pursue anything. And then: “magic happens.” 

But education leaders in Humboldt say that though branded quite differently, Ditch School’s basic offerings seem similar to those of existing charter schools in the county, and expressed concerns and skepticism about the program.

“Let’s start with the term ‘Ditch School,’” Superintendent of Schools Michael Davies-Hughes wrote in an email to the Outpost. “This may be a catchy term for a middle or high school student, but is this the messaging that resonates with most parents who understand that regular school attendance is critical to student success?”

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It was Jacobs’ son’s unusual educational journey that inspired Ditch School: a path twisting through 23 schools and around bureaucratic loopholes, ending with a college degree at age 16.

Sage, a child actor, often got into trouble as a young student for stuff like doodling on his papers or talking without raising his hand. He was 11 when Jacobs decided to seek an option more radical than the handful of alternative schools Sage had already tried. At the time, Jacobs was teaching high school algebra and sometimes struggled to convince her students that it was applicable to adult life. 

“The kids called BS on me. And they were right,” she said. “Eventually, I just said: Wow, I need to stop doing this because I’m causing harm to all these kids who hate math. They’re stressed about it and it’s destroying their lives, for literally no reason – nobody will use algebra in their real life. And if they do, they will learn it on the job.”

She discovered that anyone, regardless of age, could enroll at a community college near her home in L.A., so she signed Sage up for geology and pulled him out of middle school. After accumulating college credits here and there – and filling his free time with acting, competitive surfing and working at a comic book shop – Sage had enough credits to transfer to a university. He was accepted to UC Berkeley at 14 and graduated in two years with a degree in performance studies and art. 

“Once my eyes were open to this, I started doing it for other kids,” Jacobs said. 

Here’s how it works: Jacobs helps families navigate the bureaucratic process of foregoing public education, either by legally establishing their own home as a private school or by declaring they have credentialed home tutors. (Jacobs assured that the legal requirements for these two homeschooling avenues – explained in more detail here – are met at her program.) Then, parents send their kids to Ditch. 

And what happens there? All of Jacobs’ students – she calls them “ditchers” – enroll in one or more college courses of their choice. Though Ditch offers virtual support to students around the globe, Jacobs encourages those who can to come in person. 

Arcata’s Ditch School will be located above Humbrews on 10th Street. Describing the Topanga location (which will stay open), Jacobs said formal activity at the “coworking space” operates just three days a week, but it’s always open to students. There, mentors support students while they socialize, do homework or work on other projects. Once or twice a day they gather for a game or group conversation, often about something controversial that might stir up disagreement. 

Fittingly, ditchers are free to come and go as they please. 

“We don’t have rules like you have to eat exactly at 12 o’clock, or you need to get permission to go to the bathroom, or raise your hand before you talk, or put your phone away during class,” Jacobs said. “Those are things that we want them to learn on their own, not because an authority figure told them that they had to do it this way.”

Jacobs calls her model a version of unschooling because students independently choose what college classes to take and how to spend their free time, with an emphasis on community involvement. Her ideology is inspired by an Indigenous worldview, a topic that she’s written about and is “the motivation for my work in decolonizing education and the legal system,” she said. On Tuesday, her team shared a press release describing the program in more detail. 

“Tuition” at Ditch School will be around 500-600 dollars per month, an amount that is cheaper than any private school in the area, Jacobs said. She plans to help financially strained students seek sponsorships and work trades with local businesses. 

Jacobs said Ditch School can suit anyone but is geared toward students who face barriers with the mainstream education system. Down in L.A., that’s included competitive athletes and actors, but Ditch is also for people who struggle with school or just don’t like it, Jacobs said, including those who are bullied, suffer from eating disorders or addiction, or who have attention disorders and can’t focus on six classes at once.

“I’d also really like to draw those kids who are interested in becoming lawyers, or doctors, or authors or anything,” she said. “If they already know what they want to do, please don’t waste your time in high school.” 

Angelina Avraham was 11 when she left her private middle school to attend Ditch. Her family learned about it through Sage, who was a substitute teacher at Avraham’s school and told parents there about his mom’s program. 

“‘Everybody was like, ‘She’s crazy,’” Avraham told the Outpost. “‘There’s no way that’s possible.’” 

But then COVID hit, so her family went to check out Ditch, which was offering in-person services at the time. Avraham said she did not want to go at first but slowly warmed up to it. Jacobs helped Avraham sharpen her reading and writing skills before enrolling in her first community college class, child development. 

“She really motivated me. I think that’s one thing that’s amazing about Jessica: she always motivates you to try,” Avraham said. “She’s a girl boss.” 

At 15, Avraham is about to start her senior year at UCLA, studying anthropology but considering a switch to criminal justice.

Jacobs is proud that her students do less school work with the same results as kids in traditional middle and high schools, who she says go through unnecessary stress in advanced placement classes and extracurriculars to get into college. 

Meanwhile, ditchers have more free time. With it, Jacobs said, they volunteer, help out on political campaigns, work part-time jobs, learn musical instruments, develop trade skills, study for the LSAT, start a small business … or maybe look into the details of a potentially wrongful conviction.

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Ditch School became involved with innocence work in 2020, after Jacobs watched a docuseries about wrongfully incarcerated people called “The Innocence Files.” Inspired, she contacted the innocence attorney who was featured in the series to ask how she could help. 

The attorney told her to look into the case of Jofama Coleman, an innocent man who was convicted of driving the getaway car in a 2003 drive-by murder in LA. With Jacobs’ help, Coleman was exonerated in February 2024 after 19 years in prison. She and her students also helped free Abel Soto, who was wrongfully convicted of shooting the victim in that same case. 

The story was covered by the Los Angeles Times and New York Times (reprinted here without a paywall), but for Jacobs it was just the beginning of her involvement with innocence work. 

The nonprofit Georgia Innocence Project estimates that four to six percent of incarcerated individuals in the United States are actually innocent. Jacobs said that she and her students have helped to exonerate four people, three more are in the exoneration process, and Ditch School is currently working on another twelve cases. Inmates have started reaching out to Ditch School to ask for help (innocence attorneys, often working pro bono, are overwhelmed). 

“We’re not practicing law without a license,” Jacobs explained; anyone can assist a case by doing background research. After investigating, organizing and summarizing a case, students present the information to an innocence organization, which then decides whether to take it on.

It’s not a requirement at Ditch School, but several of Jacobs’ students are working on cases. A couple of them created the nonprofit Youth for Innocence to work on cases and educate students on how to get involved with innocence work. 

“I love that [the students] are doing it and I love that they’re getting out people who went away when they were teenagers,” Jacobs said. “Abel Soto, the most recent guy to get out, he was 15 years old. And when we’re listening to the audio of the police interrogating him, it’s devastating. But for our teens that are 15 right now to hear that is powerful.”

The three former students of Jacobs’ we talked to said they’re considering careers in criminal justice after working on innocence cases at Ditch School. One of them, 18-year-old Asha Perry-Datt, is starting law school this fall. 

By the end of their time at Ditch, every student has a high school diploma, and most earn an associates degree as well – usually one to four years ahead of their age group, Jacobs said. Applying to a four-year university is one of the few requirements at Ditch School, but students don’t have to go if they don’t want to. 

Avraham said that entering UCLA at 14 was challenging. She had an argument with her mom over wanting to live in the dorms (her mom won), and she has found the social aspect of college isolating.

“Beginning UCLA, it’s so lonely,” she said. “I feel like every student that I’ve interacted with kind of treats me like a child.” Though she’s starting to find a friend group, Avraham said her social life remains built up around her weekly visits to Ditch School. This fall, she wants to start an organization at UCLA for underage students like herself.

Avraham said that it’s worth it, despite the isolation. She’s excited to be done with school. 

“I’ve always loved learning. I just hate the way that it’s taught. I hate the school systems,” said Avraham. “I don’t agree with how we’re evaluated on what we know and what we’re learning, and especially how it puts students down.” She says Ditch School changed her life for the better. 

“I have no idea where I would be if I wasn’t at Ditch,” Avraham said. “I absolutely love it there. And it may sound a little bit crazy, but it’s an amazing program.” 

The Ditch website touts students’ accomplishments in media links and lists university admits, but County Superintendent of Schools Michael Davies-Hughes expressed some doubt in those metrics for success. 

“I have looked at the information currently available on Ditch School and the details on student outcomes are based on testimonials, press releases and a list of student ‘graduates’ with the universities and colleges to which they have been accepted,” he said. 

“To me, that is insufficient evidence of a successful program.”

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Jacobs believes that a small college town like Arcata is perfect for Ditch. Walkability is important, the university and natural environment are a plus, and she likes the community here, full of folks who think outside the box. 

But Davies-Hughes said he’s “seen no evidence” that there is a demand for more alternative education in Humboldt given the county’s existing 31 districts and 15 charter schools, including some nonclassroom-based options. 

One such option is Alder Grove Charter School, a K-12 of about 460 students that offers homeschooling support, in-person tutoring and virtual assistance countywide. In a phone interview, the charter’s Director Tim Warner said that based on the information available to him, Ditch School’s offerings sound very similar to Alder Grove’s. 

Alongside its independent study program, Alder Grove students can optionally attend the Eureka location twice a week, and highschoolers may concurrently enroll in courses at College of the Redwoods. For students with more niche interests, Alder Grove has a Career and Technical Education department with pathways like culinary arts, digital media or construction.

Warner said he’d be surprised if families choose to pay for Ditch School when they can get a similar education for free at Alder Grove or other programs in Humboldt. 

Jacobs said that while commendable, existing alternative programs don’t do enough to challenge the status quo. 

“There’s a lot of programs for alternative education that are trying to evolve what’s in the mainstream schools, and there’s some great ones in Humboldt County,” she said. “But what I have learned in my experience with Ditch School is: let’s just knock that. Instead of an educational evolution, it’s an educational revolution.”

As it stands, she criticizes mainstream education for its structure and application of authority. 

“I feel like school was an experiment to create workers and soldiers. It did a good job of that,” she said. “But in all other ways, I think it was a failed experiment.” 

But Davies-Hughes said that public schools, at least in Humboldt, aren’t what Ditch School makes them out to be. 

“The Ditch School website states that existing school environments involve ‘Sitting in hard desks under fluorescent lights for six hours per day not allowed to ask a question or go to the bathroom without getting permission from an authority figure,’” Davies-Hughes said. “This is not the reality within any classroom in Humboldt County.”

He’s concerned that local families frustrated with their school experience and looking for a “quick fix” may turn to Ditch School. “I am skeptical that Ditch School will be able to provide this quick fix in the short or long term,” he said.

That said, Davies-Hughes doesn’t anticipate that Ditch School will impact existing educational services in the county. 

“I encourage families to reach out to our local schools to learn more about the programs currently being offered,” he said. “I believe they will find what they are looking for.”

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Before opening in September, Jacobs will hold info sessions for Ditch School at the Arcata Playhouse on June 17th and August 18th.

Today the Outpost is thrilled to launch the Internet’s newest feature: The Humboldt Handy! You need a handy person to sort out your home problems? You need the Humboldt Handy! It’s a directory of all licensed contractors in Humboldt County, broken down by city and specialty, or license type.

Roof coming apart? Browse the roofers. All your paint peeled off? Browse the painters. Yard sucks? Browse the landscapers. Fence blown over? Browse the fencers. Etc. Again: You get continuously updated listings for every licensed contractor in the county, with contact information and license details, and sometimes even more handy information.

Now, youngsters, let me tell you about the way it used to be. Back in the day, there was a thing called “The Yellow Pages.” It was a big book printed every year on cheap, ugly newsprint and, amazing as this may sound, distributed to every person who possessed a home telephone, which was basically everyone.

The wonderful thing about these “Yellow Pages” was that they offered you an at-a-glace list of absolutely everyone doing a particular kind of work in your community. Just for instance: Plumbers. When your plumbing exploded you pulled out the Yellow Pages and started going down the list until you found one who could come to your place, like, now.

There is no great way to accomplish that today! You’re stuck with Google searches, or hoping your friends might know someone, or asking Reddit for advice. Until now! Now you have the Humboldt Handy. Find it down below on our homepage, or Google “the Humboldt Handy,” or whatever else you want to do. It’s always there for you.

Now, everyone can hear this next part, but to the contractors: You can have your business featured on the Humboldt Handy, and that’ll allow you to add a bunch of extra stuff to your listing — photos, websites, your Instagram account, a little explanation or what your company specializes in … lots of stuff! Check out how we’ve tarted up the page for Will Power, a local electrician, and you’ll get some idea of what you can do with this. Featured businesses appear at the top of the listings, and you get all that cool stuff along with it.

How do you do it? Find the page for your business on The Humboldt Handy and click that link that says “Claim this business!” You’ll be taken to a form where you can fill out the details, add some photos, etc. Drop us a line if you have any issues.

This is an advertising feature, but why is it also good for you, the consumer? Because contracting services are a seller’s market in Humboldt County these days, and tons of businesses aren’t accepting new clients. People who advertise on the Humboldt Handy presumably have their shingle out and are awaiting your call.

OK! The Humboldt Handy, everyone!

On the one hand, allowing local advisory boards and commissions to meet remotely could make it easier for more Californians to take part, including those with disabilities or in jobs that make it hard to attend in-person meetings.

But on the other, shouldn’t people have the opportunity to address their public officials face-to-face?

That was the heart of the discussion around Assembly Bill 817, one of several recent proposals seeking to extend flexible meeting policies born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Legislature agreed last year to do that for state boards, until Jan. 1, 2026.

But lawmakers declined to give that flexibility for local advisory boards, including planning commissions and budget oversight committees, beyond emergency situations, caregiving and other exceptions they granted during the pandemic.

The broader bill failed in the Senate’s local government committee last week, failing to get a single “yes” vote. Four members voted “no” and three others didn’t vote.

Sen. María Elena Durazo, a Los Angeles Democrat who leads the committee, said that since advisory boards are often appointed by elected officials and make recommendations that lead to action, “it is vital that the public can inform the recommendations these bodies make.”

“I don’t believe that you can as effectively do that on a computer screen instead of in person,” she said.

Currently, state law requires local boards to meet where the public has access. If that’s not at a central location like a county building, members are required to post a notice and allow the public to attend, even at their homes.

This bill — introduced by Downey Democrat Blancha Pacheco and passed by the Assembly on a 54-8 vote in January — would have, until Jan. 1, 2026, let advisory bodies have no board members and only one staffer at a physical meeting location, and one agenda posted at the staffer’s location. It would have required board members to be on camera.

Pacheco said at the June 5 hearing that her bill would bring local boards in line with state ones.

But press and government transparency advocates saw the bill’s failure as a “critical victory for open government.”

“This bill would have taken a meat cleaver to the Brown Act when a scalpel could give flexibility to those who truly need it,” said Brittney Barsotti, general counsel for the California News Publishers Association. The group is asking the Legislature to hold hearings to craft a better bill next year.

Durazo said Pacheco had declined amendments that would balance transparency with accessibility by requiring board members who get paid to attend in person, and that a certain number of members meet in person.

Ginny LaRoe, advocacy director for the First Amendment Coalition, which pushes for free speech and government transparency, noted that videoconferencing is already available to officials under a variety of circumstances.

“But it shouldn’t be the only option for the press and public to keep tabs on government,” she told CalMatters.

The bill’s supporters, which included Disability Rights California and groups representing local governments, said the state has a responsibility to allow more people to take part on boards and commissions.

“California is a huge state, and most counties have a large geographic area, and members find it very difficult, if not impossible, to attend meetings,” Janie Whiteford, president of the California IHSS Consumer Alliance and a member of a Santa Clara advisory committee on in-home supportive services, told the committee. She noted that one member had resigned because taking paratransit to and from meetings would take six hours.

“If you cannot conduct business due to a lack of quorum, the alternative is that we simply do not meet and county decision makers are left without local input,” Whiteford said.The influential AARP also supported the bill. Sens. Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, both Democrats from the Bay Area, declined to vote on the bill — a significant departure from their typical voting alignment with the retiree advocacy group, shown in the CalMatters Digital Democracy database.

Opponents of AB 817 said last year’s bill that gives exceptions in emergency situations must be given time to play out before making further changes to open meeting laws.

“We’ve worked on proposals that kind of narrowly tailor the flexibility for public officials who have a need for more flexibility,” LaRoe said. But most of the bills on open meeting laws “tried to take things in what we feel is the wrong direction.”

Two narrower bills related to open meetings did pass the committee last week: A bill by Democratic Assemblymember Tasha Boerner allowing closed sessions to discuss cybersecurity threats, and one from Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover allowing email-only notifications to certain media for emergency school board meetings instead of by telephone.

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CalMatters Digital Democracy reporter Ryan Sabalow contributed to this story.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

On Monday, Uber lost its long-running attempt to overturn a California law that would require it to provide employment rights to its drivers and delivery workers.

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could have major implications — depending what the state Supreme Court decides in a separate but related case.

Uber and Postmates, a food-delivery platform Uber now owns, alleged that Assembly Bill 5 violated their rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the state and U.S. constitutions. AB 5 requires ride-hailing and delivery companies to treat their workers as employees instead of independent contractors and codifies the so-called ABC test to determine which workers should receive benefits. Under the law, other gig companies are subject to a different test, which Uber and Postmates claimed was unfair.

The companies sued and sought an injunction against the law that took effect at the beginning of 2020. Last year, a three-judge panel at the 9th Circuit sided with Uber and revived the case, which had been previously dismissed by a federal judge.

But writing for the full 11-judge appeals court, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen said there are “plausible reasons” for treating Uber differently from other types of companies that use gig workers, such as Wag, a platform that connects dog owners and dog walkers, because the Legislature “perceived transportation and delivery companies as the most significant perpetrators of the problem it sought to address — worker misclassification.”

More than 1.4 million workers in California do app-based driving and delivery work for big gig companies such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart, according to the industry’s latest estimates.

Lorena Gonzalez, chief officer of the California Labor Federation and the former state lawmaker who authored AB 5, said in a statement: “This is a victory for all workers in the state, but especially the chronically misclassified workers in rideshare and delivery jobs. Now, we must continue to seek ways to enforce this law.”

The ruling means “the Legislature can continue to make laws that impact companies differently if the decision to do so is rational, without being concerned that such laws would violate the constitutional rights of the corporation,” said Veena Dubal, a UC Irvine law professor whose research centers on labor and inequality. “This is particularly important because so many sectors are now concentrated by two or three large companies.”

The decision also is significant because the California Supreme Court in May heard oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 22, the initiative the gig industry put on the ballot in 2020, and which a majority of California voters approved. Prop. 22 exempted Uber and other companies such as Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart from AB 5, allowing them to continue to treat their workers as independent contractors while giving them some new benefits they did not have before, such as guaranteed minimum earnings.

Uber is counting on the state’s highest court to uphold Prop. 22, on which it spent more than $57 million out of the about $200 million the gig industry put into the campaign. It contends AB 5 threatens the “flexible work opportunities” that many Californians want.

Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Uber, in an emailed statement reiterated the company’s position that “with AB 5 the Legislature unfairly targeted my clients out of animus rather than reason.” Uber had argued that AB 5 has many exemptions for companies that pay workers in different industries. They include live performers, music professionals, real estate appraisers and more.

But William Gould, professor emeritus at Stanford Law School and a former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, called the opinion “eminently sensible.” Gould said the court “correctly holds that Uber and others may be covered where the Legislature deems them to be disproportionately responsible for inequality in the gig economy.”

If Prop. 22 is upheld, it would be a huge victory for Uber and the other big gig companies, but Monday’s ruling means they would still be on the hook in any cases where they are found to have violated laws related to worker classification before Prop. 22 took effect. In the appeals court decision, Nguyen referred to “ongoing state enforcement actions seeking retrospective relief, including civil penalties,” against Uber and Postmates.

If Prop. 22 is thrown out, the appeals court ruling means “these companies do not have this case to fall back on to exempt themselves from having to provide basic employment protections,” Dubal said.

The state Supreme Court files its written opinion within 90 days of oral argument, so its decision could come by the end of August.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Virginia ‘Ginnie’ Roderick-Lawson
August 21, 1940 - June 1, 2024

With the most profound sadness, we announce the passing of our dear sweet Virginia ‘Ginnie’ Roderick Lawson, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was the epitome of sunshine and would light up the room with her smile. How fortunate we were to be on the receiving end of all that sunshine!

Ginnie was born on August 21, 1940, to Arthur and Rebecca Brown, in Tacoma Washington. The family eventually relocated to Humboldt County and lived in the Kneeland area with her eight siblings and where her father was logging while she attended local schools. She was a very proud ‘Earl’ girl and if you know, you know! Ginnie eventually met Al Roderick thanks to her brother Ted, and they were married on May 25, 1960. They had four children Linda, Steve, Tracy, and Angie and remained married for 25 years. Life can be complicated at times, and eventually Al and Ginnie parted ways. She then met Mercer Lawson and they were married in 1980, blending their families together with his children Duke, Marcie and Debbie. Later in life, she chose to go it alone, but remained very close to her first husband Al, building a lifelong friendship and spending quality time with their children and grandchildren until Al’s passing in April of 2021.

Ginnie spent most of her working life as a Certified Nursing Assistant providing home health care for many local families, and she forged long-standing relationships with those she cared for. Ginnie found great purpose being a care provider in this community. She was also very proud member of the Cowlitz Tribe of Longview Washington. From the early 80’s she spent her time actively supporting the efforts to seek Federal Recognition of the tribe which was finally realized on February 14, 2000. She was so proud of this recognition and that her heritage would be a benefit to her children and grandchildren and provide support, security and a lasting legacy.

If there ever was a true fan of baseball it would be Ginnie! She spent many weeknights and weekends sitting in the bleachers watching her grandchildren play baseball. From Little League to High School, she would not miss a game and would root the team on as well as players on opposing teams that she had watched grow up alongside her grandchildren. She soaked up every minute of any ball game as it was her true happy place! She was also an avid Giants fan to the point that she kept copious notes throughout the season. She and her grandson Lane would spend countless hours discussing the players stats and analyzing the newly drafted players and the potential for a successful Giants season. This was such a highlight of her day and one that forged a very special relationship between her and Lane. Ginnie loved all of her grandchildren dearly and had unique and special relationships with each one of them. She cherished her time with all of them and especially when everyone would come together for a family gathering and fill the room. Her heart was the fullest during these times and her grandchildren will miss their “special talks” and time with her, and they will carry those words of wisdom with them throughout their lives.

Ginnie leaves behind her children Linda Paine (Vern), Tracy Roderick (D’Ann), and Angie Stapp (Wiley), her eight grandchildren: Kelli Carr (Justin), Andrew Paine, Bryan Paine (Marissa Smith), Carly Roderick Wiley (Courtney), Jessica Roderick, Lindsey Roderick, Lane Stapp (Rachel), Ryder Stapp (Candace), Hunter Stapp (Quinn); and her nine great-grandchildren: Kennedy, Hudson, Maggie, Ellis, Olin, Aiden, Keala, Sophia & Blake. She is also survived by a very special sister-in-law Verdalyn Brown and her sister Mary Brown and brother Leroy Brown and nieces Jackie Moore Johnson, Teresa Ann Moore Thompson, Teddi Brown Torres and nephews. Vernon Brown (Liz), Darrell “Rags” Evenson and Buddy Brown. She also leaves special friends Bud and Shirley Misenbach and their family, and Peggy Baker. She was preceded in death by her son Steven Roderick, parents Arthur and Rebeccca Brown, sisters Billy Brown, Jackie Brown, Ruthie Moore, brothers Ted Brown and baby brother Art ‘Butch’ Brown. 

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday June 15, 2024, at 10 a.m., Sunset Memorial Park, followed by a reception at the Stapp Residence 1755 Sunset Drive, Eureka, CA, 95503.

Ben Spini Jr.
January 22, 1924- May 22, 2024

Ben was born on January 22, 1924 on a dairy farm in McKinleyville located near the mouth of the Mad River. His parents were Basillio and Romilda Manzi-Spini from Lake Como in northern Italy. He attended grade school in McKinleyville and Arcata. In high school he played most every sport, but was especially fond of basketball, where he lettered for three years.

After high school Ben worked as a dairyman on their family dairy as well as for other ranchers. While home on leave from the US Army, he attended an outdoor dance at Camp Bauer where he met his future wife, Patricia (Pat) Flaherty of Eureka. They were married February 26, 1946.

After his discharge from the Army on March 7, 1947 Ben came home and family life began with Pat and their first born, Kathy. Ben then went to work for Golden State Creamery in Arcata as a truck driver hauling 10 gallon milk cans from dairies to the creamery. In 1950 their second daughter, Marci, was born. In 1951 they built their home on North Bank Road where they raised their family and lived for the next 68 years.

In 1952 Ben went to work at Blue Lake Builders Supply. In 1968 he began his work at Campton Electric Company in Eureka, where he stayed until retirement in 1989.

He and his family enjoyed spending time at their summer cabin in Orleans. After selling their property in Orleans, he and Pat purchased property in Trinity Village. There they spent many summer days with family and friends. Ben raised beef cattle and hay, tended a large vegetable garden, and made homemade salami and sausage with his family. He and Pat prided themselves on filling their dinner plates with colorful home grown food. He enjoyed bailing hay for friends and neighbors. Ben always said “If you can run a hay bailer, you could fly a jet.”

During their retirement Ben and Pat enjoyed their time traveling on many tours all over the US, Canada, Mexico, and a trip to Italy where Ben’s parents were born. One of his most memorable trips was the “Honor Flight” to Washington DC. The trip included a visit to the World War II Memorial, the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Arlington National Cemetery. Ben was a loyal member of the morning coffee group at Toni’s with his ranching friends and never missed his grandkids’ sports games.

Ben was an avid sports fan. In the ‘50s and ‘60s he took up bowling and played in several leagues. He was a faithful follower of the SF Giants and SF 49ers, and hosted Super Bowl parties every year decorated with Niners red and gold even if the 49ers weren’t playing. When his sight was mostly gone, he relied on his trusted radio for play-by-play broadcasts of games. Even until his last days he kept track of his favorite teams and players’ statistics.

In 2019 Pat and Ben joined Marci and family in Escalon, Calif., where they lived out their days. They were situated in a small home of their own, with views of cattle and horses grazing, and hummingbirds that frequented their feeder.

Ben passed peacefully at the age of 100 years and 4 months (to the day). He is survived by: daughters Kathy Schuler (Catherine) and Marci Barnes (Mike), grandchildren Andrew Schuler (Julie) and Megan Dyk (Ryan), five great grandchildren, sister Betty Deacy, sister-in-law Joyce Spini and many beloved nieces and nephews. Ben is preceded in death by: his wife of 75 years Pat, grandson Matt Barnes, brother George Spini, sister Mary Taylor (Clark), and brother-in-law Ted Deacy. The family would like to extend special thanks to his caregiver Cindy, who helped make life easier for Ben and his girls in those last months.

A combined graveside service for Ben and Pat Spini will be held at the Blue Lake Cemetery on July 17 at 1 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. Celebration of Lives at the Blue Lake Grange Hall. All friends of the family are welcomed to attend. In their memory, consider a donation to the Matthew D. Barnes Memorial Scholarship via Humboldt Area Foundation at 363 Indianola Rd., Bayside, CA 95524.