It's Day 22 of the federal government shutdown, and Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to end it. As the shutdown drags on, here's the latest on what we know.
Why did the federal government shut down? A partisan argument over if and when lawmakers need to act to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to the current shutdown. Some 24 million people — who don't have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans.
Read on... for more details on what the shut down means across the country.
It's Day 22 of the federal government shutdown, and Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to end it.
Without a fix, many federal employees will not be getting paid this Friday, the first full paycheck they'll miss as a result of the shutdown. By law federal workers are supposed to get back pay once the shutdown ends, but the White House has tried to cast doubt on that.
Meanwhile, President Trump has tied the shutdown to his overall goal of shrinking the size of the government, laying off workers en masse while it continues — and promising more — while specifically targeting what he calls "Democrat programs."
A partisan argument over if and when lawmakers need to act to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to the current shutdown. Some 24 million people — who don't have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans.
Prominent Republican lawmakers have claimed the Democrats are looking to provide tax dollars to help pay for the heath care of undocumented immigrants. That is not true.
Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for the Republican short-term funding bill that passed the House but did not include an extension of the health care tax credits. Democrats are also hoping to repeal cuts to health care programs that were put in place as part of the GOP spending and tax bill that passed over the summer.
NPR's Deirdre Walsh reports that some Democrats say Nov. 1 could be a key date in talks to loosen the current gridlock. That date marks the beginning of open enrollment for people getting coverage through the ACA, when most states will send notices to subscribers laying out the cost of coverage without subsidies.
In Vermont, where notices started going out on Oct. 15, for example, some families are facing increases of $25,000, according to Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt.
Military families are already seeking additional assistance from food banks and other groups to help with paying bills.
Are government workers being laid off during the shutdown?
The Trump administration has been following through on threats tofurther slash the size of government during the shutdown, seeking to layoff roughly 4,000 workers earlier this month. Some workers are fighting back in court; the judge overseeing the case issued a temporary restraining order directing the Trump administration to pause reduction in force (RIF) efforts that affect certain unionized employees.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food program was estimated to run out after about two weeks. But USDA has distributed money from the previous fiscal year, helping at least some states continue to fund the program. The White House has said it will use tariff revenue to keep WIC afloat, though has provided few details. Trump's budget proposal earlier this year had looked to cut WIC funding.
Beyond WIC, the country's much larger food aid program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, previously known as food stamps) — is funded through October.
That's because the debit-like cards people use to buy food are loaded a month in advance. USDA earlier this month told state agencies to hold off paying for November benefits for lack of sufficient funding, "until further notice."
Some state agencies say they may not have the funds to reimburse schools providing free and low-cost meals.
Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association, says some agencies have told her organization they don't have the money to pay schools back for meals during the shutdown.
"There is a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle to make sure that kids have access to healthy meals at school, so we are hopeful that the administration and Congress will act before this becomes an issue."
According to Pratt-Heavner, USDA released funds to regional offices for meals served in October. But some states report they have yet to receive any money, she said. Before the shutdown, USDA released a contingency plan outlining funds states could tap into to cover any gaps. A USDA spokesman did not directly answer NPR when asked if the agency would advance funding to state agencies should the shutdown persist.
A United States Postal Service (USPS) mail box stands in Manhattan on August 05, 2020 in New York City. Mail services will not be affected by the government shutdown.
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USPS is 'open for business as usual'
"U.S. Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown," according to a statement by USPS. The postal service is primarily self-funded and doesn't depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.
IRS furloughs nearly half its staff
A contingency plan from the Treasury Department says that slightly more than half of the IRS' approximately 74,000 workers remain on the job and will continue to work for the foreseeable future. Some IRS employees were issued reduction in force, or RIF, notices on Friday and posted screenshots of those notices informing them of their last day, Dec. 9.
The contingency plan says nearly all of those employees who continue to work will be paid using sources other than annual appropriations, which are on hold during the shutdown. Tasks will include completing and testing systems to handle next year's tax-filing season, and maintaining computers to prevent the loss of data.
Teachers and schools won't be directly impacted, but federal education functions might
Eighty-seven percent of Department of Education employees have been temporary furloughed, as detailed in agency shutdown contingency plans.
At the same time, the administration is trying to use a new round of layoffs to gut multiple offices inside the department, including the Office for Civil Rights and the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department.
This latest reduction-in-force (RIF) cut at least 121 staffers responsible for overseeing roughly $15 billion in special education funding and for making sure states provide special education services to the nation's more than 7.5 million children with disabilities. According to multiple sources, the special education office is now left with just a handful of top executives and support staff.
In addition, many Department of Education employees who were furloughed were surprised to see a message blaming Democrats for the government shutdown inserted into their out-of-office replies. A federal workers union is suing the Trump administration for inserting the language into employees' out-of-office email messages.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2026 went live as scheduled at the start of October. As WPR's Corrinne Hess reports, the U.S. Department of Education says that student financial aid programs will continue, despite the shutdown.
Greg Freeman, a National Park Service ranger closes the entrance gate due to the government shutdown at the Everglades National Park Shark Valley on Oct. 1 in Florida. Shark Valley remains open to visitors who park outside the entrance gate and walk in, although with limited staffing.
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National Parks are a mixed bag
Across the country, the National Park Service (NPS) have brought their operations to a halt. That includes the National Zoo and other Smithsonian facilities. NPR's Alana Wise reports that the Smithsonian assured the public that animals would still be cared for during the zoo's closure. Animal cams are considered nonessential and will be turned off for the remainder of the shutdown.
As KQED's Sarah Wright and Carly Severn reported, a contingency plan for the NPS says that park roads, lookouts and trails "will generally remain accessible to visitors" for the duration of the shutdown, but other services such as regular road and trail condition updates would not be provided.
Concerns have also been raised about the safety and responsibility of keeping parks open without having a robust number of employees available to conduct critical services.
Salem will be open through Halloween thanks to community support
WBUR's Andrea Shea reports that local leaders in Salem, Mass., learned a National Park Service visitor center and its bathrooms would be closed during their busiest tourist season so they took action on a plan to keep them open.
Shea reports that NPS agreed to let Salem reopen the center if the community covered costs through Halloween weekend. Annie Harris — CEO of the non-profit Essex Heritage that helps staff and run the facility — sent out a flurry of emails including to the mayor. Within 48 hours businesses and non-profits raised $18,000 — keeping the center open until Nov. 2.
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits will continue
But employees at Social Security field offices earlier this month said the government shutdown has left them unable to carry out an important service for some recipients. As NPR's Ashley Lopez reports, workers say they are unable to provide benefit verification letters to people calling in to request them. These official letters act as a sort of income verification and are therefore key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance and help from nonprofits.
In an Oct. 21 email to users answering commonly asked questions about how shutdown impacts, SSA noted the online portal can still be used to access benefit verification letters.
As NPR's Scott Horsley reports some furloughed employees at the Labor Department are coming back to work, in order to complete the September inflation report, which is a key ingredient used to calculate the cost of living adjustment that Social Security recipients will receive next year. The report will come come out on Friday, nine days late.
Immigration cases and enforcement are proceeding as usual during the government shutdown, with a few small exceptions. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the employees in the Office of Detention Oversight, which inspects immigration detention centers, is currently not working. "We hope Democrats will open up the government swiftly so that this office can resume its work," McLaughlin said.
According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS law enforcement, including ICE agents, will be paid for work done during the shutdown.
"More than 70,000 sworn law enforcement officers across DHS including those serving in CBP, ICE, Secret Service, TSA and other critical mission areas will be paid for all hours worked during the shutdown period," Noem posted on X on Thursday. "By Wednesday, October 22, law enforcement officers will receive a "super check" – which covers the 4 days lost, their overtime, and their next pay period."
The U.S. Coast Guard, which is housed within DHS, will continue to be paid, according to a post earlier this week from Noem, from funds appropriated in the reconciliation bill earlier this year.
An air traffic control tower is seen following the government shutdown at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Oct. 1 in Austin, Texas.
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If you're flying soon …
Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees are considered "essential workers" and have to stay on the job.
Travelers across the U.S. are beginning to feel the impacts of the government shutdown, as air traffic control staffing shortages disrupt flights across the country.
The impact of the shutdown looks different in different parts of the country
Some states across the country are uniquely positioned to feel the impact of the government shutdown. Reporters from the NPR Network are digging into the ways the government shutdown is playing out in their region.
Here's what we know so far about how the shutdown is affecting specific communities across the country:
Alaska
The U.S. Transportation Department says it has secured funding to continue the Essential Air Service program, subsidizing routes to 65 Alaska communities and more than an additional 100 communities nationwide, through Nov. 2. [Alaska Public Media]
About 15,000 federal employees live in Alaska, one of the highest percentages of federal employees when compared with other states. President Trump's threat that federal employees could receive termination notices increases the uncertainty around how this crucial workforce to Alaska's economy could be affected. [Alaska Public Media]
Sen. Ruben Gallego said the shutdown would also not affect federal relief money to communities in the Miami-Globe area after torrential monsoon rains caused flash flooding in the region [KJZZ]
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport joined a handful of other airports across the country that have refused to display a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. [KJZZ]
In Colorado, the federal government employs thousands of workers at climate or land-management agencies. An EPA spokesperson told CPR News that the agency is operating under its shutdown plan, which would furlough thousands of employees. [Colorado Public Radio]
Unemployment claims from Colorado's federal workers are surging amid the U.S. government shutdown. Stephanie Rogers, a Colorado-based microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration, told CPR she filed for unemployment the day after the shutdown started. [Colorado Public Radio]
Connecticut
Connecticut will continue federally funded food assistance programs for state residents during the government shutdown, Gov. Ned Lamont said on Wednesday. But he said the state's reserve money for SNAP, the food assistance program for low-income families, will run out by the end of the month. [WSHU]
Connecticut has a $2.5 billion budget surplus this year — its second largest in history. Advocates are asking Lamont to consider using it to help offset the federal shortfall. [WSHU]
Georgia
For federal workers living paycheck to paycheck, one option to get through being furloughed could be filing for unemployment insurance, Georgia Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes said. The employees will have to pay the benefits back once the shutdown ends and they receive back pay, but the benefits can help them make ends meet while they are not being paid. [GPB]
If the federal government shutdown continues, the Mid-America Regional Council said it may need to temporarily close Head Start centers serving more than 2,300 Kansas City children beginning Nov. 1. [KCUR]
Kansas farmers face several uncertainties, as payments from some federal programs are in limbo. In addition, nearly half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's employees will be furloughed, and many offices will be closed. [KCUR]
During the last two shutdowns, the USDA did not publish its monthly crop reports. This comes at an inconvenient time as Midwest farmers are in harvest season. [KCUR]
For more on the impact in Kansas City, head to KCUR.
Louisiana
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, is managed by FEMA and provides flood insurance to those who don't have a private option. It has grown in size as most homeowner's insurance policies across the U.S. have dropped flood damage entirely. It covers nearly half a million Louisianans. Policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and funds to pay claims have dropped $30 billion due to the shutdown. [WWNO/WRKF]
Three workers who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times said they haven't been furloughed, but they've dealt with uncertainties and fragmented coordination since the federal government shut down Oct. 1 on top of a year of uncertainty. [Chicago Public Media]
Maine
Even though much of the staff of Acadia National Park in Maine has been furloughed, it was a popular weekend at the park. [Maine Public]
Minnesota
Thousands of Minnesotans might not receive federal food aid benefits if the government shutdown continues into November, as federal officials have told states that funding for SNAP benefits is running out. [MPR News]
Missouri
Families enrolled in the Missouri WIC program — which provides supplemental food, nutrition education and support to low-income women and children — will not be immediately impacted by the shutdown. [St. Louis Public Radio]
The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis are temporarily closed, with National Park Service work largely on hold. [St. Louis Public Radio]
New Hampshire
There are more than 5,000 civilian federal employees in New Hampshire, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Manchester VA Medical Center, the White Mountain National Forest, the Berlin federal prison, the passport processing center at Pease and at other federal agencies. How the shutdown might affect them isn't entirely clear. [NHPR]
The White Mountain National Forest will remain open, but some say earlier staff cuts are hampering critical activities. Firefighting and disaster response activities will also continue, according to federal officials. [NHPR]
On Oct. 7, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the veteran appropriator who has helped broker past bipartisan deals, told NPR, she has been working behind the scenes with senators from both parties to "find common ground." [NPR]
For more on the impact in New Hampshire, head to NHPR.
For more on the impact in North Dakota, head to Prairie Public.
Oklahoma
With the federal government shut down, National Park rangers are not present at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Victims, family members and first responders are stepping in to educate visitors on the location's story. [KOSU]
Oregon
The federal government program used to subsidize commercial flights in Pendleton got a last-minute reprieve from grinding to a halt due to the partial government shutdown. But as of Wednesday, immediate answers on how that might affect Eastern Oregon's only commercial airport are in short supply. The municipally operated Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton holds the only Essential Air Service (EAS) contract in the state, a federal program that helps rural airports operate. [OPB]
Pennsylvania
Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania-based federal workers furloughed during the government shutdown may be eligible for unemployment compensation through the state Department of Labor & Industry. [WITF]
Tennessee
On Oct. 7, the FAA notified local officials in Nashville that flights in and out of Nashville International Airport (BNA) would be reduced Tuesday afternoon due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. Nashville's airport was back to normal by Wednesday morning. [WLPN]
Texas
U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who inspect cargo at the 32 other official ports of entry are among the essential federal workers who must remain on the job unpaid. The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick. [Houston Public Media]
Utah
In Ogden, Utah, about 10 percent works for the IRS, and when federal workers stop getting paychecks, impacts are felt quickly and broadly. (KUER)
Washington
On Oct. 6, state officials say they have enough to cover WIC for the next two weeks. Seattle and King County have partnered to dedicate nearly $2 million to provide one-time vouchers to an estimated 30,000 clients in King County who rely on WIC. [KUOW]
The Employment Security Department says the 80,000 federal workers in Washington State may qualify for unemployment benefits. [OPB]
Wyoming
On Oct. 3, Gov. Mark Gordon said Wyoming will cover gaps in funding to federally funded state employees who are in the state budget "in the short-term." [Wyoming Public Media]
Frank Stoltze
is a veteran reporter who covers local politics and examines how democracy is and, at times, is not working.
Published March 19, 2026 4:45 PM
A mural inside the César Chávez building at Santa Ana College.
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Topline
Public officials across California are contemplating what to do with dozens of streets, parks and libraries named in honor of civil rights icon César Chávez in the wake of allegations he sexually assaulted two girls and a woman decades ago. Chávez died in 1993.
The backstory: The allegations surfaced in an investigation by the New York Times published earlier this week that sent shock waves across the country.
Renaming a holiday: Many state and local leaders, including L.A.’s mayor and county supervisors, suggested changing the César Chávez holiday on March 31 to Farmer Workers Day. March 31 was Chávez’s birthday. In Sacramento on Thursday, Democratic leaders of the state Legislature said they would push for such a change.
What's next: The process for renaming streets and other public structures varies from city to city and school district to school district. It could take months before many cities move to erase Chávez's name from public spaces.
Read on ... for more on the movement to rename these monuments and tributes.
Public officials across California are contemplating what to do with dozens of streets, parks and libraries named in honor of civil rights icon César Chávez in the wake of allegations he sexually assaulted two girls and a woman decades ago.
The allegations surfaced in an investigation by the New York Times published earlier this week that sent shock waves across the country.
Chávez, who was head of the United Farm Workers union, is widely recognized as one of the most influential labor leaders in U.S. history, known for founding the union and for leading national boycotts of grapes to improve working conditions for farmworkers.
Chávez died in 1993.
Many state and local leaders, including L.A.’s mayor and county supervisors, suggested changing the César Chávez holiday on March 31 to Farm Workers Day. March 31 was Chávez’s birthday.
In Sacramento on Thursday, Democratic leaders of the state Legislature said they would push for such a change.
“The farmworker movement was never ever about one man,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said at a news conference. “It was built by tens of thousands of workers. People who labored in the fields, people who organized, people who sacrificed and who stood up when it was hard.
“We have a responsibility to remember the movement and to move it forward with integrity.”
Also on Thursday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a proclamation renaming the city's César Chávez Day holiday as “Farm Workers Day.” The city recognizes the holiday on the last Monday of March.
“I grew up as a child admiring the farmworker movement,'' Bass said. “I didn't think I was ever going to eat grapes again because my family boycotted grapes.”
The grape strike, organized in part by Chávez, lasted five years from 1965 to 1970.
Multiple allegations of sexual assault
The New York Times investigation uncovered multiple allegations that Chávez had sexually assaulted girls and women in the 1960s and ‘70s, when he was head of United Farm Workers, including union co-founder Dolores Huerta.
Huerta, now 95, told the Times the rape and sexual assault resulted in pregnancies that she kept secret. Huerta said she gave the children up for adoption after birth.
In a statement, Huerta said in part: “... for the last 60 years [I] have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.”
Bass said Thursday she met Chávez once and “thought it was an opportunity of a lifetime.” She said her heart “broke” this week when she heard the allegation that Chávez had raped Huerta.
The mayor said renaming the holiday would allow people “to reflect on how the struggle of farmworkers has elevated working people everywhere.”
She added that the city would need to consider changing the names of buildings, streets and other things named in honor of Chávez.
For example, César Chávez Avenue runs through the heart of the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Several murals of Chávez dot the city.
Bass said she had been in contact with Chávez's family, and they supported her action.
The mayor was joined at the proclamation signing by Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who said in a statement that the farmworker movement has always been about the power of the people, “especially the women whose labor built it and too often went unseen."
“As we honor that legacy, we also have a responsibility to tell the truth about harm and stand with survivors,” Hernandez said.
Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado also attended the news conference. She said the movement doesn’t belong to one person.
“Farm Workers Day honors the workers, families and organizers still in the fields and still fighting for fair wages, safe conditions and dignity,” the statement from Jurado read. “And it recognizes that this movement is carried forward every single day by people whose names we may never know but whose impact continues to define the spirit of Los Angeles.”
Other cities and counties
Many other cities and counties are considering wiping Chávez's name from public spaces.
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said she would introduce a motion looking at renaming the county’s César Chávez holiday.
Supervisor Janice Hahn suggested the county consider renaming Chávez day “Farm Worker Day.”
“For those of us who grew up admiring the farmworker movement, today's news is heartbreaking,'' Hahn said in a statement Wednesday. "But as in any other civil rights movement, men were only half the story. The abuses of one man will never diminish the extraordinary sacrifices, accomplishments, and legacy of the women of the farmworker movement.
“It's time we put them first.”
The process for renaming streets and other public structures varies from city to city and school district to school district. It could take months before many cities move to erase Chávez's name from public spaces.
You can follow your city council agenda to keep up with what’s going on, or better yet, reach out to your representatives on the council and county Board of Supervisors to make your voice heard on the issue.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (right) speaks as Attorney General Rob Bonta looks on during a news conference April 16, 2025, in Ceres. A new lawsuit seeks to reinstate the 2009 conclusion that carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases threaten public health and welfare.
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Topline:
California, as well as Los Angeles County, along with a coalition of 23 other states and a dozen cities and counties, sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday for rolling back the scientific finding requiring it to regulate greenhouse gas pollution.
Why it matters: The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, seeks to reinstate a 2009 conclusion known as the endangerment finding — that carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases threaten public health and welfare. The climate rule served as the scientific basis for the agency’s ability to limit emissions under the Clean Air Act.
California, along with a coalition of 23 other states and a dozen cities and counties, sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday for rolling back the scientific finding requiring it to regulate greenhouse gas pollution.
“This isn’t a small technical change,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a press conference in Sacramento. “It’s a sweeping decision that would increase pollution, worsen climate change and put the health of millions of Americans at risk. And it’s not based on any credible science.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, seeks to reinstate a 2009 conclusion known as the endangerment finding — that carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases threaten public health and welfare.
The climate rule served as the scientific basis for the agency’s ability to limit emissions under the Clean Air Act.
The Trump administration finalized the repeal of the endangerment finding Feb. 12. A post on the EPA’s website stated the change would also dissolve restrictions on vehicle emissions and save Americans $1.3 trillion.
“As a result of these changes, engine and vehicle manufacturers no longer have any future obligations for the measurement, control and reporting of GHG emissions for any highway engine and vehicle, including model years manufactured prior to this final rule.”
Sanchez said California’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the landmark 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, signed into law by then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, “remains unchanged.”
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties also were parties to the suit.
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A man's shirt and sticker are displayed at the Billionaire Tax Now booth at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21. A new poll finds just 52% of Democrats back a wealth tax, leaving room for an expensive, uphill campaign. State Republicans overwhelmingly support the voter ID measure.
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Topline:
California voters are split along party lines on two controversial proposed ballot measures — a billionaire tax and an initiative requiring voters to show government ID when they cast a ballot — according to a new poll.
Billionaire's tax: The survey from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found 52% of voters backing a proposed one-time, 5% tax on the net worth of billionaires. The money would be used to fund health care programs, which are being cut by the Trump administration; 33% of registered voters said they were opposed and 15% said they are still undecided.
Voter ID: The voter ID ballot measure is more evenly divided, with 44% of voters in support and 45% opposed. Republican voters said they would overwhelmingly vote “Yes.” Democrats are unified in opposition, with only 19% in support.
The survey from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found 52% of voters backing a proposed one-time, 5% tax on the net worth of billionaires. The money would be used to fund health care programs, which are being cut by the Trump administration; 33% of registered voters said they were opposed and 15% said they are still undecided.
Whether voters back the measure, which is being pushed by a health care labor union, is highly correlated to their partisan leanings: 72% of Democrats said they’d support the billionaire tax if it qualifies for the November ballot, while the same percentage of Republican voters are opposed. Voters with no party preference were more split, with 51% backing the wealth tax.
The voter ID ballot measure is more evenly divided, with 44% of voters in support and 45% opposed. Republican voters said they would overwhelmingly vote “Yes.” Democrats are unified in opposition, with only 19% in support.
IGS co-director Eric Schickler said that while neither measure has qualified yet for the ballot, most voters surveyed said they are aware of the proposals.
“The Billionaire Tax Initiative starts out in a relatively strong position, but with it polling just above 50%, that still leaves room for what will be an intense, expensive campaign,” he said. “The Voter ID Initiative looks like it faces an uphill climb: given the strong Democratic opposition, it needs very strong support among nonpartisan voters, and it currently seems to be falling short. But it is still very early.”
If they move forward, the campaigns around both measures are expected to be expensive and bruising. Democrats are split on the billionaires tax: Gov. Gavin Newsom is opposed, Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna said he’s in support, and many other Democrats — including legislative leaders and candidates for governor — have offered support for the concept but expressed concerns with the details of this proposal.
Some billionaires have already left California, and others, like Google co-founder Sergey Brin, are lining up huge campaign war chests to fight the measure.
And Democrats are gearing up to fight the voter ID measure, which several Southern California Republican lawmakers are pushing. The proposed ballot measure comes as the U.S. Senate debates what’s known as the SAVE Act, a far more draconian voter ID measure.
Backed by President Donald Trump, that legislation would require a passport or birth certificate to register to vote, essentially eliminate mail-in ballots and require states to hand over their voter rolls to the federal government. It already passed the House but is facing a steep climb in the Republican-led Senate.
The poll was conducted between March 9 and 15 among more than 5,000 registered California voters. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 2 points.
LAUSD's Cesar E. Chavez Academies include four independent high schools named after the labor leader, located on a single campus in San Fernando.
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Topline:
Los Angeles Unified School Board members who represent district schools named after César Chávez are calling for their renaming in light of sexual abuse allegations.
What’s new: Board members Rocío Rivas and Kelly Gonez issued a joint statement Thursday, calling for the renaming of César Chávez Learning Academies in San Fernando along with César Chávez Elementary School in El Sereno. They said they “believe it is necessary to move away from traditional César Chávez-centered celebrations and lessons tied to the state holiday and instead prioritize student safety, dignity and truth.”
What’s next: Renaming of schools requires a full vote from the school board. Rivas and Gonez said they will work with their communities to find new names.
The Los Angeles Unified board members who represent schools named for César Chávez are calling for their renaming.
A New York Times investigation published Wednesday found the famed labor leader Chávez sexually abused girls and women including United Farmer Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta.
“In light of this information, we believe it is necessary to move away from traditional César Chávez-centered celebrations and lessons tied to the state holiday and instead prioritize student safety, dignity and truth,” read a statement from board member Kelly Gonez and Vice President Rocío Rivas.
The renaming process would likely take months and include meetings with school staff, students and parents. In the meantime, district leaders and educators are grappling with how the allegations of abuse change lessons about a figure who helped galvanize generations of activists.
“ I think we are all deeply, deeply troubled by the allegations that have come forward over the last couple of days,” said Andres Chait, the acting Los Angeles Unified superintendent.
Chait said that March 27 will continue to be a school holiday (the currently named César Chávez Day, on March 31, falls during LAUSD’s spring break).
A district spokesperson provided a statement Wednesday that said a review of curriculum and resources related to Chávez is underway “to ensure the emphasis remains on the important work of the farmworker movement, not on any one individual.”
How are community members and educators reacting?
Last semester, students at STEM Academy of Hollywood learned about Chávez and the movement to unionize farmworkers in Irene Atilano’s ethnic studies class.
Atilano said students walked into her classroom Wednesday with questions after seeing the allegations of Chávez’s abuse on social media.
“ They were just like, ‘What do you think?’” Atilano said. “And I'm like, 'It doesn't matter what I think. What do you guys think? Let's learn together.'”
Their reactions ranged from “this really sucks,” to a sense of loss.
“This is why we don't try to idolize people,” Atilano said. “We want to make sure that we focus on the community, we focus on the movement.”
Atilano said she plans to teach ethnic studies again and is thinking about how misogyny and patriarchy intersect with political and social justice movements.
“It can be found everywhere,” Atilano said. “I’m trying to see how I can make those connections in the future, but it's a work in progress.”
On March 10, the LAUSD board unanimously approved a resolution recognizing Chávez — one of many such resolutions over the years — and pledging to provide curriculum and resources aligned with the foundation that promotes his legacy, education and economic development. The board last year also passed a resolution honoring Huerta.
In response to LAist’s questions about curriculum related to Chávez, an LAUSD spokesperson provided a statement that said the district is providing additional instructional materials “to support classroom learning, ensuring students continue to engage with themes of leadership, service and social justice in age-appropriate and meaningful ways.”
“Just my own team, we’re seven women … and our own triggers, our own stories are coming out,” Ortiz Franklin said. “You can imagine that happening everywhere in homes, in classrooms, the adults having to manage this, and then also, helping students process.”
César Chávez Elementary in El Sereno is one of several schools in Southern California named after the labor leader.
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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How would renaming work?
Blanca Juarez was at César Chávez Elementary in El Sereno on Wednesday to pick up her daughter. With a father and grandmother who were both farmworkers, she said she was troubled by the news.
“He was like the only hope in those days — the only one speaking for all of the — and now, well, I don’t know. I don’t know what to say,” Juarez said.
She said it was too soon to be talking about renaming the school.
Gonez and Rivas said they would work with the communities surrounding the elementary school and the César Chávez Learning Academies in San Fernando to identify new names.
In recent years, the school renaming process has included meetings with staff, students, parents and community members and a public vote. The LAUSD board must vote to finalize any name changes.
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