News in Brief: April 11 to April 17

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CAMPUS

In a small hiccup, Associated Student Senate originally failed to pass the Spring 2018 AS elections ballot on April 11 by a vote of 9-3-3. After being informed that AS can’t have an election without the ballot, meaning that only reaffirmations could be voted on this Spring, Senate moved back into a discussion on whether to pass the ballot. During the discussion, University-Owned Senator Andrea Reyes stated that there were possible concerns about elections code violations within the ballot. After a second vote, the ballot passed 12-1-2.

COUNTY

The sun may be out, but there may be a switch in weather in store for Santa Barbara South Coast residents. According to the National Weather Service, there is a 20 percent chance of rain showers on Thursday, April 19. This is a marked change from the dry, windy, and warm weather that Santa Barbara has experienced in recent weeks.

STATE

The UC Student Association announced on Tuesday that it would be issuing a grant that would reward UC student organizations that perform “outstanding work for the community they identify with, or their campus community in general.” In an email to Associated Students, External Vice President for Statewide Affairs Kristin Hsu said that the goal of the campaign, called PermIGNITE, is “to uplift and empower the marginalized voices that proudly exist within the UC campuses and beyond.” Organizations can receive anywhere between $500 and $2,000 in grant funding. The application closes April 23.

Complying with part of President Donald Trump’s request to deploy the California National Guard, Gov. Jerry Brown announced on April 11 that he would provide 400 troops, not for immigration enforcement though. According to a tweet on the governor’s Twitter account, it would be done to “supplement the staffing of its ongoing program to combat transnational crime.” Brown stated that the California National Guard would not participate in efforts to round up women and children at the border, detain asylum seekers, or build a border wall.

NATIONAL

In what may be another round of teacher walkouts, faculty and staff in the state of Arizona are voting this week on whether to protest for more education funding, according to The Arizona Republic. Arizona’s governor recently introduced a plan to increase teacher pay by 20 percent by 2020, raising questions of whether the vote is necessary. Educators in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kentucky have walked out earlier this year to protest gaps in the state’s funding and for higher wages. There is currently no set date for a walkout, if the state’s public school teachers vote in favor of doing so.