4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 13-19, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Free speech advocates are threatening litigation against the Los Angeles City Council after it decided on July 30 to ban the N-word and C-word and their “variations” from public comment periods. But as offensive as these words are, the First Amendment Coalition and Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression argue that the policy is unconstitutional and an attack on free speech. In an interview with Westside Current, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said this is the first step toward other policies to regulate offensive speech. “The first target of censorship is never the last,” said David Loy, the FAC’s legal director. “Censorship anywhere gives aid and comfort to censorship everywhere.” A letter from the FAC and FIRE warns the council that if it does not repeal the decision by the end of August, the group will file a lawsuit. “A government that gets away with censorship won’t stop at just two words. It will target other speech, too—particularly criticism,” FIRE attorney Zach Silver said. Good: School is back in session across Monterey County, and depending if you’re a student or parent, summer was either too short or too long. As the homework assignments start rolling in, students will need assistance. Thanks to the California State Library and Pacific Library Partnership, anyone holding a card with Monterey County Free Libraries will have access to free online tutoring for K-12 students. With Homework CA, library patrons can receive tutoring on more than 250 subjects. “We know that students don’t always need academic support during traditional library open hours,” said Alison Day, manager for programs, outreach and youth services at MCFL. “Homework CA allows us to extend our services beyond the library walls and give students access to free, on-demand tutoring and educational resources 24 hours a day.” GREAT: Monterey County residents who rely on free legal services will now have an office closer to home. Watsonville Law Center is opening a satellite office in Salinas at 106 Central Ave. The grand opening is on Monday, Aug. 17 from 4-5:30pm. Watsonville Law Center has provided legal services to low-income families in the tri-county area for 25 years, from its office in Watsonville and through clinics in various communities, including Salinas and Soledad. Nearly half of the people the nonprofit serves are from Monterey County. “When a farmworker or service employee has to sacrifice a day’s wages and navigate transportation just to access legal help, that is a barrier to justice. By planting roots in Salinas, we are removing that barrier and meeting our community exactly where they are,” says Adriana Melgoza, the nonprofit’s executive director. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how many nominations were cast in 277 categories for the Best Of Monterey County® Readers’ Poll. It’s now time to vote for the finalists at montereycountynow.com/bestof through Aug. 28. Source: Monterey County Weekly 23,494 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It’s beautiful to see many people come to see this art.” -Romain Greco, director of the Alebrijes y Nahuales: Fantastical Animals of Mexico exhibit that is now on display throughout Salinas (see story, montereycountynow.com/newsletter).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==