West
Seaside city resisting state Dems' attempt to force it into 'submission' over voter ID law
A conservative enclave in Southern California is embroiled in a legal dispute with the state’s liberal authorities over its voter ID law that was passed by more than 50% of the city’s voters.
Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark told Fox News Digital the latest lawsuit from Sacramento authorities is just another targeted attack on the city’s values.
“I’m a person of color, I grew up in a low-income community in Los Angeles, and we all had IDs,” Van Der Mark told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday. “And one thing that is really frustrating is they’re saying, people like me are too ignorant or incapable of getting an ID, and that’s insulting.”
“This is definitely government overreach,” she said.
California’s Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber filed a lawsuit last week against the beach city – which is roughly 35 miles south of Los Angeles – challenging its voter ID law, Measure A, which amends the city’s charter to allow voter ID requirements by 2026. It also includes a requirement for additional in-person voting locations.
CALIFORNIA SUES HUNTINGTON BEACH OVER VOTER ID LAW BACKED BY MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS
Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark is defending the city’s voter ID law that voters passed in March 2024. (Getty Images)
“They’re telling us ‘it’s okay, we don’t need these measures of security,’ but we’re insisting on them,” Van Der Mark, elected in 2023, said. “So, they can sue us. We’re going to push forward and do what the people want us to do.”
In their lawsuit, Bonta and Weber argued that the city’s voter ID law “unlawfully conflicts and is preempted by state law.”
“The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle,” Bonta said in a statement.
He argued that state elections already contain “robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud.” He said the new requirements would disproportionately burden “low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities.”
AG GARLAND PLEDGES TO FIGHT VOTER ID LAWS, ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURES
Waves roll past the Huntington Beach Pier, epicenter of the city’s beach culture, in Huntington Beach, California, on Feb. 22, 2024. (Rick Loomis for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The City Council, led by a politically conservative majority since 2022, stirred considerable debate by making contentious decisions on various issues recently, like the government-only flag protocol on city properties and removal of sexually explicit books in the public library.
“Sacramento is trying to make an example out of Huntington Beach,” Van Der Mark said. “They’re suing us every opportunity they can and every time we do something, they try to write bills to counter what we’re doing or to make what we’re doing illegal. So, I believe they’re trying to sway us into submission, and we’re not going to allow that to happen.”
LA MAYOR BREAK-IN SUSPECT WAS ‘TARGETING’ BASS, GASCON SAYS
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit last week against Huntington Beach, challenging its voter ID law, Measure A. (Getty Images)
California officials first warned Huntington Beach officials to drop the voter ID proposal in September. The lawsuit argues that Measure A violates state law and is invalid because it conflicts with California’s Constitution, which grants charter cities the authority to govern “municipal affairs” but prohibits local laws from conflicting with statewide laws.
Under current California law, according to the AG’s office, “voter identity is established before registered voters get to the polls; at the polls, registered voters are only required to provide their name and address – no further identification is required.”
This is not the first time the state has threatened a conservative city over local laws passed. Last year, Bonta threatened several school districts over their parental notification policies.
Fox News’ Bradford Bretz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting another man in Hillcrest was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in state prison.
Michael William Howard, 41, must also register as a sex offender for the July 13 attack.
At the time of his arrest, the San Diego Police Department said its special events team on duty in Balboa Park during last year’s San Diego Pride Festival spotted Howard walking in the area and took him into custody.
Police said he “matched the description of a wanted violent sexual predator who had been targeting the LGBTQ+ community” and “was wanted in connection with multiple cases involving the sexual assault of men in the Hillcrest area.”
However, the crime Howard pleaded guilty to pertains to one victim, and court records do not indicate he is facing any other criminal cases in San Diego County.
Key Aspects:
- Platinum guests will not receive key VIFP benefits on Carnival Spirit‘s May 5 departure from Seattle.
- The 7-night Alaskan sailing is the 2026 FFS Cruise with brand ambassador John Heald.
- Diamond guests are still retaining all their loyalty benefits for the very special cruise.
With the Alaska season just getting underway for Carnival Cruise Line, guests are eager to get right into the fun and enjoy their voyages in the Last Frontier. One very special voyage, however, will not be offering the loyalty benefits high level members of the cruise line’s VIFP program might expect.
Platinum guests booked on the May 5, 2026 sailing of Carnival Spirit have been notified they will not be receiving key perks typically associated with their loyalty status.
“Due to the high number of Platinum guests joining us on this voyage, we will not be able to provide the following benefits,” the email explained.
The benefits that will not be available for the 7-night cruise include priority embarkation and debarkation either in Seattle or at any ports of call, the early stateroom access to drop off luggage, or priority luggage delivery to guests’ staterooms.
Furthermore, the cruise line may not be able to offer the priority line at Guest Services portside on Deck 2 or priority phone assistance when calling Guest Services.
“These operational changes are consistent with other voyages where we have a very large number of Platinum guests,” the email continued. “We apologize for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding.”
It should be noted that Diamond guests will still receive all of their benefits for this sailing.
Carnival Cruise Line does not disclose the number of VIFP guests on different sailings. Carnival Spirit can welcome up to 2,124 guests at double occupancy.
Cruise Hive has reported frequently on different Carnival cruises losing loyalty benefits due to large numbers of loyal guests on specific sailings.
While many of those cruises-without-perks are longer voyages, such as repositioning sailings or transatlantic cruises, any sailing might be impacted depending on its overall bookings.
Carnival Spirit will depart Seattle on Tuesday, May 5, and will enjoy visits to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria before returning to the Evergreen State on May 12.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Ships in Alaska – Which One to Choose?
The 85,920-gross-ton ship will remain in Alaska through mid-September, offering weeklong cruises throughout the summer.
At the end of the season, she will first offer a 15-night roundtrip sailing from Seattle to Hawaii before repositioning back to Mobile for the winter. Carnival Spirit will be back to Alaska for the 2027 sailing season.
A Very Special Cruise Impacted
While all Alaskan cruises are immensely popular, this particular sailing, the May 5, 2026 departure of Carnival Spirit, also happens to be the 2026 “For Fun’s Sake” (FFS) cruise with John Heald, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, hosting special events all week long.
Typically, Heald only hosts one FFS cruise per year. This is the first time the themed cruise has been in Alaska. Previous sailings were in the Caribbean, though different options are offered each year. The 2026 sailing is the eighth FFS cruise, and they all sell out remarkably quickly.
To be clear, the FFS cruise is not a full-ship charter. Instead, guests must book the sailing separately and then opt in to the FFS evens with an extra registration and nominal fee.
Depending on the ship, anywhere from 500 to 800 spaces will be available for guests to join the unique events and activities. The full itinerary of FFS events is not revealed until guests are onboard, but there are often themed activities to the itinerary.
“We will have a private viewing deck during the transit through Tracy Arm Fjord with some special food and lashings of hot soup,” Heald said when the cruise was announced. “That’s just one thing I am planning.”
Of course, in March 2026 Carnival Cruise Line removed Tracy Arm Fjord from all sailings this season due to safety concerns related to avalanche risks. There will still be scenic cruising in Endicott Arm Fjord, where such viewing can be offered.
Other exclusive events include meet-and-greets, photo ops, autographs, and more, and all FFS guests also get limited edition swag to commemorate the very special cruise.
The loss of Platinum VIFP perks will not impact the FFS activities onboard, and all guests are sure to have an exciting and very memorable cruise vacation.
PHOENIX — Chandler residents may be one step closer to ending about $1.7 million a year in property taxes paid to the Roosevelt Water Conservation District after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the city’s water agreement.
The court ruled that Chandler’s water agreement with the Roosevelt Water Conservation District remains enforceable through 2086, ending a yearslong dispute over water deliveries and taxes paid by thousands of property owners.
“Nearly 27,000 Chandler households have paid Roosevelt Water Conservation District property taxes for years without water benefits. That ends with this ruling,” Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke said in a Wednesday announcement.
Why were Chandler and RWCD in court over a water agreement?
City officials said the dispute began when the district, known as RWCD, stopped honoring its agreement to provide water to Chandler. The most recent version of that deal was signed in 2002.
Last year, Hartke told KTAR News 92.3 FM that RWCD would sometimes let water go to waste rather than sell it to the city.
RWCD was formed more than a century ago to irrigate about 40,000 acres of farmland in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and southeastern Maricopa County. As those lands urbanized, Chandler continued purchasing water through the district’s water rights.
The court rejected RWCD’s argument that Chandler waited too long to sue.
“Water is a critical public resource, and this ruling restores a key component of Chandler’s 100-year assured water supply,” Hartke said.
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