Weekly Update 5/4/2026
Weekly Update 5/4/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners
California:
Trump-aligned groups sue Bonta over California sanctuary policies: The Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute and the city of El Cajon have filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Diego Superior Court, reviving conservative challenges to the state’s sanctuary immigration policies. The complaint targets the California Values Act, TRUST Act, and TRUTH Act, arguing they limit…
Newsom faces broad pushback over plan to delay billions in K-12 funding: Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing broad pushback from a coalition of teachers unions, school boards, superintendents, and administrators over his January budget proposal to delay $5.6 billion in funding constitutionally guaranteed to schools. Newsom's office has explained the move as a hedge against potentially weakening state revenues, but education leaders argue the governor is balancing other parts of the state budget by withholding money owed to schools. The proposal…
Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) report offers bleak outlook on California state spending: The LAO last week released a report concluding that California's spending has grown at an unsustainable rate over the last six years, forcing lawmakers to make difficult choices on raising taxes or cutting programs to address chronic deficits. The state has increased spending by $100 billion since the 2019-2020 fiscal year, but…
Education:
Education Department's massive rewrite of student loan programs draws swift backlash: The Education Department has finalized a sweeping overhaul of federal student loan programs, with most changes taking effect July 1. The rule sets new borrowing caps and introduces two repayment plans, allowing graduate students to borrow up to $20,500 annually ($100,000 total) and professional students up to $50,000 annually ($200,000 total)…
Supreme Court declines third gender identity case from parents: The Supreme Court declined to hear a Florida case brought by parents who said a school supported their child’s gender transition without their knowledge, marking the third similar case the justices have rejected, following similar disputes from Massachusetts and Maine. The decision suggests the court may avoid ruling this term on conflicts between parental rights and policies protecting LGBTQ student privacy. Earlier, the conservative majority temporarily backed California parents seeking notification policies but…
Department of Justice (DOJ) probes 36 Illinois school districts over sex discrimination, parental rights: The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division last week announced investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts over potential violations of federal sex discrimination laws and parental rights. The agency…
Education Department launches civil rights probe of Stanford teacher diversity program: The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) last week launched an investigation into Stanford University over a program that supports teachers of color, following a complaint by the conservative nonprofit Defending Education. The probe will examine whether Stanford's National Board Resource Center violates the Civil Rights Act, the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race. At issue is the center's Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)…
McMahon faces bipartisan pushback at Senate Appropriations on civil rights, TRIO, special ed, and grant consolidations: Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the department's $75.7 billion fiscal 2027 budget request before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday (4/28), facing bipartisan pushback on proposed cuts and program shifts. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) pressed McMahon on consolidating 17 programs totaling $6.5 billion, including the Rural Education Achievement Program, into a $2 billion block grant…
Education and Treasury departments trade employees as part of student loan program shift: The U.S. Department of Education and Department of the Treasury are exchanging staff as part of the Administration’s effort to transfer the federal student loan portfolio, valued at nearly $1.7 trillion, to Treasury. The initial phase focuses on moving responsibility for defaulted student loans, with several employees already detailed…
Trump administration excludes education degrees from professional definition: The new student loan rule excludes education from the list of professional graduate degrees, meaning education graduate students face caps of $20,500 annually or $100,000 total under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, rather than the $50,000 annual or $200,000 total cap for professional fields. The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)…
Why Congress is struggling with Trump's education agency breakup: Education Secretary Linda McMahon is facing increased scrutiny from Senate Democrats over the U.S. Department of Education’s agreements with other federal agencies to manage major education programs, including student loans and Title I…
Congressional Hearing Update: K–12 Education Policy: The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, led by Chairman Kevin Kiley (I-CA), held a hearing examining the impact of equity-focused policies in K–12 education. Republican members and witnesses argued that prioritizing uniform outcomes over individual achievement may limit access to advanced…