Weekly Update- 07/21/2025

Weekly Update 07/21/2025

Special Education Update:

On Tuesday (7/15), Secretary McMahon announced that she would begin transitioning career and technical programs, adult education, and family literacy to the Department of Labor (DOL), following the Supreme Court ruling allowing mass layoffs at the Department of Education (DOE). Programs being moved from the DOE include…

President and Administration:

Education Department moves to shift workforce grants to Labor: The administration is moving ahead with its plan to transfer administration of key career and technical education grant programs from the Education Department to the Department of Labor (DOL), following a Supreme Court decision that allowed mass layoffs at the Education Department to proceed. The two agencies signed an agreement….

Administration cuts specialized suicide prevention service for LGBTQ+ youth: The administration is ending specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a move that mental health experts and advocates warn could have severe…

Congress:

Republicans renew a bid to remove noncitizens from the census tally behind voting maps: House Republicans are advancing legislation that would exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2030 census counts used to determine congressional representation and Electoral College…

Republican Senator aims to roll back Medicaid cuts he voted for two weeks ago: Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced legislation on 7/15, to reverse key Medicaid cuts included in a Republican domestic policy bill he supported just two…

Rescissions - Take Two: Building on the GOP success of the $9 billion rescission package becoming law, OMB Director Vought stated that “It's likely you'll see an additional package. We're not there. We're not here to announce anything on this front but in terms of seeing whether this was a useful…

California:

California sues Trump again, this time over money for kids: Two dozen states, including California, sued the administration last week over the Department of Education’s decision to withhold $7 billion in federal education funds intended for programs such as English learning, teacher training…
Puerto Rico:

Rum -  the quiet winners in Trump’s big bill: The government of Puerto Rico will see increased revenue following a change in how rum exported from the island is taxed…

Education: 

The new nicotine product replacing e-cigarettes to addict teens: Teen vaping has dropped significantly since its 2019 peak, but nicotine pouches pose a new public health threat. Nicotine pouches are marketed as a less harmful alternative for adults, these products are rapidly gaining…

Weekly Update-07/14/2025

Weekly Update 07/14/2025

President and Administration:

Supreme Court allows Trump mass layoff and restructuring plans: On Tuesday, 7/8, the Supreme Court ruled to lift a lower court’s block on plans to dismiss thousands of federal workers without prior congressional… 

Administration leaves Congress in dark on spending decisions: More than $6 billion in education funding remains on hold by the administration, leaving school districts uncertain as they prepare for the new school year. The Office of Management and Budget has attributed the delay to a programmatic review…

In flooded Texas, questions about FEMA’s role and fate: While FEMA did deploy personnel to the flooded Texas region following flash floods over the July 4 weekend, current and former officials maintain that the federal response has been limited compared to the state’s…

Congress:

GOP leader faces showdown with Republicans on Trump-backed funding cuts: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) faces opposition from several Republican senators this week over a House-approved rescissions package that proposes cutting $9.4 billion…

California:

Newsom excites red-state Democrats, but some worry about a Californian: California Governor Gavin Newsom toured rural counties in South Carolina this week, energizing Democrats and drawing attention to federal disaster relief needs while continuing to deflect questions about a potential…

Justice Department sues California over transgender athlete policy: On Wednesday, 7/9, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California over its policy allowing transgender girls…

Education: 

Supreme Court clears way for dismantling of Education Department: In a major victory for the administration, the Supreme Court on Monday (7/14) allowed it to fire thousands of Education Department employees, functionally eliminating the agency…

School districts grapple with ‘budgetary chaos’ in wake of federal funding freeze: The U.S. Department of Education has delayed the release of $6.2 billion in federal K-12 grant funding, prompting concern…

USDA reverses guidance protecting LGBTQ students against discrimination in school meals: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reversed a Biden-era policy that extended anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation to school meal…

Education Department dismisses thousands of civil rights complaints at an ‘unheard of’ pace: The U.S. Department of Education has dismissed thousands of civil rights complaints in recent months, raising concerns among advocates and former officials about…

Weekly Update-07/07/2025

Weekly Update 07/07/2025

Special Section: One Big Beautiful Bill:

This provides an overview of key policy changes in OBBB. Please let us know if there are any other topic areas that would be helpful…

President and Administration:

Central Texas flash floods emergency, with questions on National Weather Service capabilities: Flash floods triggered by intense overnight rainfall in central Texas have devastated communities, rapidly submerging areas and destroying structures as river levels surged 26 feet…

Congress:

Appropriations: The Senate Appropriations Committee will conduct the first markups of FY26 bills on Thursday (7/10), with (1) Commerce, Justice, Science…

The House Appropriations Committee will conduct markups of FY26 bills next Thursday (7/17), with (1) the Full Committee markup of Transportation, Housing…

California:
With vote to scale back California’s environmental law, legislature clears way for budget: California lawmakers approved Governor Gavin Newsom’s demand to weaken environmental review rules under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in order to accelerate…

Education: 

Trump freezes allocations and distributions of formula grant funding, upending school budgets: The Trump administration abruptly froze $6.2 billion in federal education grants—$811 million of which were designated for California—just one day before funds were set…

Sixteen states sue Trump administration to restore mental health grants for schools: Sixteen states, including California, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to abruptly cancel nearly $1 billion…

​​Mass dismissals of Education Department civil rights complaints prompt concern from former officials: The U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) dismissed over 3,400 civil rights complaints in just over three months under the Trump administration, raising serious concerns…

Public Safety and Justice Update- 7/3/2025

Public Safety and Justice Update-7/3/2025

DOGE enters ATF with mandate to slash gun regulations: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to revise or eliminate over 50 federal gun regulations as part of a broader Trump administration effort to reduce…

Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing two: On Sunday (6/29), a 20-year-old transient, Wess Roley, started a wildfire on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and fatally shot two veteran firefighters—Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison…

Republicans’ tax bill would water down a century-old gun law: A provision in the GOP's sweeping domestic policy bill that could be approved as early as today would roll back key elements of the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA), a longstanding federal gun..

Gun control advocates cheer codification of New York Office of Gun Violence Prevention: During Gun Violence Awareness Month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation permanently establishing the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), citing sharp…

Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter who threatened police joins Justice Department: Jared L. Wise, a former FBI agent charged with encouraging violence during the January 6 Capitol riot, has been appointed as an adviser to the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group…

Former criminology students admits to killing four Idaho students: Bryan Kohberger, a former Ph.D. student in criminology, pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, avoiding the death penalty in a deal that ensures life imprisonment without parole…

Crime rates decreased in Oakland last year, crept up in San Jose: California's overall crime rate declined in 2024, with statewide figures showing an 8 percent drop in total crime and a 6 percent decrease in violent crime from 2023, returning to levels far below historic…

Weekly Update 06/30/2025

Weekly Update 06/30/2025

President and Administration:

DOGE loses control over government grants website, freeing up billions: The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has lost control over the federal grants website, Grants.gov…

Trump megabill reshapes tax breaks for charity contributions: Congress is working to revise charitable tax deduction rules as part of the megabill targeted for passage…

Thailand reverses course on decriminalized marijuana: Thailand has reversed its landmark 2022 decision to decriminalize marijuana, reimposing restrictions that now require a medical…

Congress:

House appropriators approve Legislative Branch bill with GAO cuts: The House Appropriations Committee advanced a fiscal 2026 Legislative Branch spending bill that would cut the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) budget by nearly 50 percent, from its fiscal 2025 level…

California:

Seniors are the fastest growing age group in the Bay Area, and nationwide: New U.S. Census data reveals that the Bay Area’s population is aging rapidly, with seniors becoming the fastest-growing…

Education: 

SCOTUS hands win to parents in LGBTQ+ curriculum opt-out case: In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that schools must allow parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ+…

Education Department declares California transgender sports policy violates Title IX: On DATE the Education Department announced that California’s policy allowing transgender girls to compete…

Supreme Court preserves E-rate in 6-3 ruling: In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the E-rate program’s funding mechanism, allowing schools and libraries…

Put at the top for PSI, Include for Vimenti, BGCPR: States can spend school pandemic-relief funds for now, Education Department says: The Education Department announced it will allow states to continue spending remaining American Rescue Plan education funds while litigation over the program…

Senate HELP GOP advance Trump’s top Education Department nominees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Republicans advanced President Trump’s top Education Department nominees…
States Face uncertainty as an estimated $4.8 Billion in K–12 funding remains unreleased: As of June 30, 2025, approximately $4.8 billion in Congressionally approved K–12 education funding remains…