The Buzz 06.26.25

FREE SPEECH

With Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signing Senate Bill 2972 into law on June 20, students at public universities in the state can be banned from talking or having any “expressive” ideas at night. The bill allows universities to enact policies that prohibit “engaging in expressive activities on campus between the hours of 10pm and 8am,” defining “expressive activity” as “any speech or expressive conduct” protected by the First Amendment or Texas Constitution. In an article for the Houston Chronicle, First Amendment attorney Caitlin Vogus wrote that the bill would ban students from studying, writing an email, reporting for the student newspaper, painting a picture or praying at a service, among other things. “Lawmakers want to crack down on college students’ pro-Palestinian protests so badly that they literally passed a prohibition on talking,” she wrote. Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton, who authored the bill, told the Austin American-Statesman that the bill “ensures that speech stays free, protest stays peaceful and chaos never takes hold.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The only harassing I do is I ask hard questions.” - Michael “Max” Schell, who resigned from the Soledad Community Health Care District Board of Directors on June 19. Three employees filed formal complaints accusing him of misconduct, which he denies (see story, montereycountynow.com).

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Good news for Soledad residents: the fire department has a new ladder truck. The truck will increase firefighters’ ability to reach higher areas, including rooftops, upper floors and commercial areas. “It’ll create depth and bolster our fire department capabilities here in Soledad, and will enhance our services as the city grows with new commercial and residential properties,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jason Luckenbach. The $1.7 million truck was purchased with $2 million in state funds secured by Senator Anna Caballero. “This investment is about both public safety and preparing Soledad for the future,” she said. The new truck is slated to go into service later this summer. The city also improved its 1950s-era fire station by building a bay next to it that can house the new truck, thanks to different funding sources, including impact fees and the American Rescue Plan Act.

GREAT:

Shovels are in the ground for a long-awaited safety and traffic flow improvement project in Carmel Valley. Construction began on June 23 on a roundabout at the T-intersection where Laureles Grade meets Carmel Valley Road, an intersection that has long been a priority of the Carmel Valley Road Advisory Committee. Construction is expected to last up to nine months, with two-way traffic controls in place until March 2026. (Construction will pause to allow thru-traffic during busy times like Car Week.) Teichert Construction has been awarded the $3.8 million bid to build the roundabout. The entire project cost, including engineering design, utility relocation and construction, is estimated at $5.6 million. It is funded through a combination of Carmel Valley traffic mitigation fees, a grant from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District and Measure X, a voter-approved, countywide transportation tax.