The Buzz 10.08.26

FREE SPEECH

In the weeks after the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2222, which provides tax relief to news organizations, newsrooms across the state urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign it into law. On Sept. 30, the last day for the governor to sign or veto the bill, he heeded the calls. AB 2222, introduced earlier this year by Assemblymembers Chris Ward and Buffy Wicks, provides news organizations with a tax credit of $20,000 per full-time journalist up to five positions, with $15,000 for every additional journalist, beginning in 2027 and lasting through 2032. It is paid for by complying with a provision in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that eliminates a deduction for corporate executives who make more than $1 million in salary. “While President Trump continues to attack the free press, California is supporting independent journalism,” Newsom said in a statement. “A free press isn’t supposed to make government comfortable. It’s supposed to make government accountable.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“No two [El Niños] are the same.” - Lamont Bain, National Weather Service science and operations officer, speaking during a winter storm preparedness town hall in Monterey on Sept. 30 (see story, montereycountynow.com/newsletter)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

As it celebrates its 181st birthday, Fisherman’s Wharf will undergo much-needed repairs and rehabilitation in the coming weeks, work that had been paused during the tourist season. According to Monterey City Engineer Andrew Easterling, the first phase will take place above the water and will consist of repairing and replacing damaged handrails. That will be followed by underwater work to repair about 40 damaged pilings. However, no new piles will be driven. “They’ll be encasing the piles and sometimes injecting grout to essentially strengthen or rehabilitate the piles,” Easterling says. “Of course, when they’re working on the piles, they’ll be working below the wharf, so there will be minimal impacts to the public as they’re out there doing this important work.” The repair work is made possible through roughly $983,000 in general fund money approved by the Monterey City Council in July 2025 and should wrap up in the next few months.

GREAT:

It seemed the curtain had closed for Maya Cinemas when the business announced the downtown Salinas movie theater was closing permanently on Sept. 9. But less than a week later, the theater announced it will reopen on Friday, Oct. 9. The reopening follows a partnership announced Sept. 14 between Maya Cinemas, the City of Salinas, the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Salinas City Center Improvement Association and One Main Street. According to Colleen Bailey, president and CEO of the chamber, the organizations are working together to keep the longtime theater operating while developing a longer-term plan for the cinema. Maya Cinemas CEO Francisco Schlotterbeck said the theater will undergo interior improvements before reopening, including work in the lobby, restrooms and common areas. Independent and Spanish-language films are also expected to remain part of the theater’s programming.