Gen Z Voters Want More from California's 2026 Governor Race
Gen Z Californians say gubernatorial candidates are playing it safe on policy while young voters face housing, health, and economic crises.
RP
Ray Petrovic
Crime & Public Safety Reporter
CrimePublic SafetyEnforcementCompliance
About Ray
Ray Petrovic spent eight years on the crime beat at newspapers in Fresno and Redding before moving to Humboldt County, where the line between legal agriculture and criminal enterprise is a daily editorial question. He has ridden along on CAMP helicopter raids, attended DCC enforcement hearings, and interviewed both licensed cultivators who lost everything to compliance costs and illegal operators who have no intention of going legal. At California Bud, Ray covers illegal grow site eradications, cartel operations on public lands, compliance enforcement, and public safety across Humboldt County. He reports without moralizing. The legal-illegal tension is the most complex story in the region, and Ray treats it with the nuance it demands.
Articles by Ray
California Man Charged Under Anti-Truancy Law for ICE Protest Help
Clovis police referred charges against Alfred Aldrete for escorting student protesters at an anti-ICE walkout. The DA's office declined to prosecute.
CalMatters Emmy Nomination for Immigration Documentary
CalMatters, Evident Media and Bellingcat earned a 2026 Emmy nomination for 'Operation Return to Sender,' investigating federal immigration enforcement operations.
Two Republicans Battle for California Governor in 2026
Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco share one path to the California governorship: splitting Republican primary votes nearly evenly to freeze Democrats out of November.
California Governor's Race: A Democratic Standoff
Three Democrats stuck near 10% each with five weeks to California's June primary. No one's gaining ground, and no one's dropping out.
Maryland Bill Protects Firefighters Who Use Medical Marijuana
Maryland's HB 797 passed 100-31, shielding firefighters and EMTs from job discipline for off-duty medical marijuana use if they hold a valid patient card.
MA Cannabis Businesses Sue to Block Legalization Rollback
Massachusetts cannabis businesses filed suit to block a ballot initiative that would repeal the state's recreational marijuana law before November voters.
Two Arrested in SoHum After Deputies Find 8,000-Plant Indoor Operation
Two men were arrested Friday after Humboldt County deputies executing a search warrant discovered approximately 8,000 cannabis plants in a large-scale indoor grow operation near Alderpoint.
CAMP Eradicates 12,000 Plants From Illegal Grow on National Forest Land
A multi-agency CAMP operation removed approximately 12,000 cannabis plants and 4 tons of infrastructure from an illegal grow site deep in the Six Rivers National Forest west of Willow Creek.
Armed Robbery at Eureka Gas Station, Suspect at Large
Eureka Police are searching for a suspect who robbed a Broadway gas station at knifepoint Saturday evening, the third commercial robbery in the city this quarter.
Fentanyl Bust on Highway 101 Yields Record Seizure
CHP officers seized approximately 42,000 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop on Highway 101 near Garberville, the largest single fentanyl seizure in Humboldt County history.
Two Teens Arrested After String of Arcata Catalytic Converter Thefts
Arcata police arrested two juveniles Wednesday in connection with at least 11 catalytic converter thefts across three neighborhoods over the past six weeks.
CAMP Raids Three Properties Along Mattole Road
A multi-agency CAMP operation seized more than 5,400 cannabis plants from three properties along Mattole Road in southern Humboldt on Thursday.
Deputies Find Two Thousand Plants in Garberville Warehouse
Humboldt County deputies and DCC investigators discovered approximately 2,100 cannabis plants in a commercial warehouse south of Garberville on Monday.