By Bo Tefu | California Black Media
Asm. Ramos Blasts UC for Not Returning Native American Remains; Sacred Artifacts
California Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) is criticizing the University of California for failing to return thousands of Native American human remains and sacred artifacts, despite federal and state laws requiring repatriation.
Top UC officials will face lawmakers Aug. 26 over these failures in a joint hearing at the Capitol Annex Building in Sacramento. Legislators plan to press the university for clear timelines, warning they may consider stricter oversight if progress is not made.
Ramos, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Native American Affairs, will lead the hearing alongside Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Sierra Madre), chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The session, scheduled for 9 a.m., will include testimony from UC leaders and tribal representatives.
Three audits since 2019, including one released in April, found UC campuses have repeatedly missed deadlines under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and its California counterpart. The laws have been on the books for decades.
“The university lacks the accountability and urgency needed to promptly return Native American remains and cultural items,” the April audit said. It cited poor oversight, incomplete records, and mismanagement of funds intended to help tribes recover ancestral remains.
Representing UC will be Katherine Newman, provost in the Office of the President; Rich Lyons, chancellor of UC Berkeley; and campus repatriation coordinators. Tribal leaders scheduled to testify include Leo Sisco of the Tachi Yokut Tribe, Mary Ann Carbone of the Ventura Chumash, John Potter Jr. of Redding Rancheria, Valentin Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, and Lester “Shine” Nieto of the Tule River Tribe.
The audit reported that UC still holds remains of thousands of individuals and hundreds of thousands of cultural items, some of which have been stolen or mishandled. It also found that UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, and UC San Diego repeatedly failed to spend NAGPRA funds, carrying them over year after year rather than using them to support tribal repatriation efforts.
Auditors suggested lawmakers consider placing conditions on UC’s state funding to force compliance. The scheduled hearing is expected to test whether UC leadership will set clear timelines or risk stricter legislative action.
California Leaders Pledge to Cut Student Absences in Half Within Five Years
California education officials are pledging to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% over the next five years, unveiling new statewide guidance Aug. 26 to keep more students in class.
The plan, announced by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Aug. 19, focuses on early intervention, family engagement, and ensuring students feel safe on campus amid heightened immigration enforcement. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, surged to nearly 30% during the pandemic and, while improving, remains well above pre-pandemic levels.
“Sometimes families don’t attend school because of major challenges — transportation, poverty, health issues,” Thurmond said at a press conference in Rancho Cordova. “We do a lot to educate families about the importance of their children being in school every day they’re healthy and well enough to be there.”
State data shows 20.4% of students, about 1.2 million, were chronically absent in the 2023-24 school year, down from 24.9% in 2022-23 but far higher than the 12% rate in 2018-19.
Because school funding is based on attendance, California districts lose an estimated $3.6 billion annually when students miss class. But the greater risk is academic: research shows chronically absent students, especially in early grades, struggle to learn to read by third grade.
The new guidance, developed with Attendance Works and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, provides districts with strategies to track attendance, connect families to support services, and make schools safer.
Legislators are also advancing bills to address immigration-related fears that have led to student absences. Senate Bill 98 would require schools to alert families when immigration officers are present, while Assembly Bill 49 would limit their access to campuses without a warrant.
“When we lose attendance because of suppression fears, we lose revenue — as much as $150 million,” Thurmond said. “But more importantly, students lose learning opportunities.”
Education officials said the new guidance and legislative measures aim to build on recent improvements, helping California schools keep students in class, support learning, and secure funding while addressing the challenges that continue to drive absenteeism.
California Takes Action: Gov. Newsom Calls Special Election on Redrawn Congressional Map
California voters will decide in November whether to approve a redrawn congressional map aimed at helping Democrats win five additional U.S. House seats, after Texas Republicans advanced their own map to expand GOP representation at President Donald Trump’s urging.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Aug. 21 calling the special election following a party-line vote in the state Legislature. Newsom has led the campaign in favor of the measure, calling it a response to what he described as “an assault on our democracy in Texas.”
“This is not something six weeks ago that I ever imagined that I’d be doing,” Newsom said, pledging to reach out to Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters in support of the measure.
Republicans have promised to fight the proposal both in court and at the ballot box. Assemblymember James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) criticized Trump’s involvement and warned that Newsom’s “fight-fire-with-fire” strategy could be dangerous.
The legislation comes as part of a national redistricting battle. Texas Republicans have moved to revise their congressional map to protect GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and other Republican-controlled states, including Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, are considering similar measures. Redistricting typically occurs every decade after the U.S. Census, but states can redraw districts mid-cycle. The U.S. Supreme Court allows partisan redistricting as long as race is not a factor.
California Democrats say they acted to counter Republican gerrymandering in other states. Democratic state Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) said the effort is necessary to protect democracy. Former President Barack Obama also endorsed Newsom’s plan, calling it a measured approach that still allows voters to decide.
The California map approved for the special election would remain in effect only through 2030, after which the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission would draw the next decade’s map. Democrats are considering similar temporary redistricting actions in other states with Republican-drawn maps.
Secretary of State Weber Is Inviting Californians to Submit Arguments for and Against Nov. 4 Redistricting Vote
California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., is spearheading the implementation process to put Proposition 50 before voters in the Nov. 4 statewide special election.
Weber announced Aug. 21 that she has formally assigned the measure to the ballot and is inviting Californians to submit arguments for or against it.
The proposal, Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 8, would temporarily adopt the congressional map outlined in Assembly Bill (AB) 604 until 2031, overriding the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s usual authority. Lawmakers say the change responds to mid-decade redistricting in Texas earlier this year and is aimed at protecting California’s representation in Congress.
Weber’s office is accepting ballot arguments until 5 p.m. on Aug. 25. Rebuttals from selected authors are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 27. Arguments may be delivered in person at the Secretary of State’s Elections Division in Sacramento, faxed to (916) 653-3214, or emailed to VIGarguments@sos.ca.gov. Original documents must follow within 72 hours of electronic or faxed submission.
State law gives priority to arguments written by legislators, followed by recognized citizen associations and then individual voters. Ballot arguments cannot exceed 500 words, with rebuttals capped at 250 words. No more than three signers are allowed on each submission.
Weber said the Official Voter Information Guide, which will feature selected arguments and be mailed to every California voting household, ensures voters have “direct access to both sides of every measure so they can make informed decisions.”
If approved by voters, Proposition 50 would temporarily replace the state’s congressional boundaries until the next redistricting cycle in 2031, giving Californians a direct say on how their districts are drawn.
California Attorney General Bonta Joins Multistate Support for New York AG Letitia James
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is standing with 20 other state attorneys general to defend New York Attorney General Letitia James against what they are referring to as a politically motivated campaign by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In an open letter released Aug. 22, Bonta and the multistate coalition accused the Justice Department of using criminal law enforcement to intimidate James for pursuing legitimate financial fraud claims against former President Donald Trump and his business organization.
“A state attorney general has an undeniable ethical duty and professional responsibility to seek justice, even when it involves bringing claims against the powerful,” the letter reads. “Deploying the power of the government in pursuit of personal vendettas, to achieve political ends, or to thwart the enforcement of state law is an abuse of that trust.”
The attorneys general criticized Edward R. Martin Jr., head of the department’s “Weaponization Working Group,” who is leading the investigation into James. They cited his public pledge to “stick the landing,” unannounced appearances at James’s home for press photos, and a letter to her personal attorney suggesting she resign as “an act of good faith.”
Bonta’s office said California stands firmly behind James, highlighting that the investigation undermines the independence and authority of state attorneys general nationwide. The coalition called on the Justice Department to end the probe and reaffirm impartiality in the enforcement of federal law.
Joining Bonta in the letter are attorneys general from Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and 15 other states. The group emphasized that protecting the integrity of state-level prosecutions is essential for maintaining public trust and the rule of law.