You searched for natalie hanson - Page 3 of 14

Future of federal Education Department unclear

by Natalie Hanson
posted Jan. 12

A second Trump presidency has spooked many public education advocates, but some say the administration may face resistance if the president pushes drastic changes like dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

According to education experts assembled in an Ethnic Media Services panel in December, the American education system may become a battleground for significant policy changes attacking federal support for the most vulnerable students, including LGBTQ+, immigrant and low-income students. Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, said the Trump Administration may target federal funding to schools as punishment for the use of inclusive instructional materials or diversity programs. read more

Safe Space works to overcome hurdles to intake

photo by Karen Laslo

Safe Space volunteers checked in people who needed shelter during an intake held near the municipal center last winter.

The nonprofit organization Safe Space is working to get emergency night-time sheltering available by Christmas Day as unhoused people struggle with this week’s downpour.

Forecasts were indicating that up to 10 inches of rain were possible in Chico between today and the end of the week, as well as localized flooding. Safe Space Executive Director Hilary Crosby said outreach teams were on the streets handing out tarps and making sure homeless community members “knew about the storm coming through.”

“I don’t have anything [at this point] to provide people so they can get warm or dry off,” Crosby said early today. “We’re checking on people to make sure they have what they need.”

Safe Space wants to open an office at 1909 Esplanade but faces hurdles. The office would be used for intake during the winter, with people gathering in the parking lot for about two and a half hours each evening. After volunteers check in unhoused people, they would be shuttled to one of five participating churches for the night. Crosby said there would likely be between 35 to 50 homeless people seeking shelter, and a half dozen volunteers. read more

Big money plays big role in effort to seat conservative Council candidates

photo by Yucheng Tang

Mike O’Brien speaks at a candidates’ forum.

Chico’s City Council races have become clearly divided between grassroots campaigns that rely on small donors and campaigns funded by wealthy outside interests.

Liberal-leaning candidates rely heavily on door-to-door canvassing and fundraising events. But meanwhile, the hefty financial advantage enjoyed by conservative-leaning candidates has helped drive a strong presence for them throughout the city, from campaign signs to advertising. Conservative-leaning and Republican candidates have long held access to some of the bigger wallets in the region, including in the last City Council race which brought about a 6-1 conservative majority.

This race is no different, according to filings with California’s Secretary of State that are made available through the City Clerk’s office. Former police Chief Mike O’Brien, running to replace Councilmember Sean Morgan in District 1, had raised more than $30,000 — more than any other of the candidates — by Sept. 21. read more

Election campaigning targets the vulnerable

As racist and discriminatory speech become commonplace in electoral campaigns, candidates and campaign organizers are calling for a response. In Butte County and elsewhere, some would like elected officials to speak against discrimination and in favor of protecting marginalized Californians.

On a recent panel convened by Ethnic Media Services, organizers said that anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Republican Party is growing. Panelists said that many incumbents and GOP candidates use slurs against migrants, which fuels fear and anger against people who seek a better life in America.

Hateful speech has been on the rise since 2016, said David Welch, secretary of the Butte County Democratic Party and chairperson for the Democratic Action Club of Chico. Welch said that “free floating anger” came to the surface with Donald Trump’s rise to power and the presidency. read more

Policy critics: Chico’s Climate Action Plan neglected

photo by Leslie Layton

The City’s updated Climate Action Plan.

Butte County, facing the Camp Fire, the Dixie Fire, the Park Fire and extreme heat, has been on the frontlines of climate change in recent years. But the City of Chico has not made policies reflecting the urgency of these crises, some say.

Chico’s Climate Action Commission’s role has over time been cut dramatically, and the plans staff put together over years to help plan for a future of climate change have not been properly implemented, say some Chico residents. In their view, a lack of planning for climate change is symptomatic of the City’s unwillingness to make climate change the focus of policy or even fund the work to do so.

Community Development Director Brendan Vieg disagrees with this view, pointing to progress on plans like the Urban Forest Master Plan. “Combatting climate change provides an opportunity to build a healthy, equitable and resilient community,” Vieg states on the Climate Action Plan update (CAP) website page. read more

Chico’s ordinances criminalize homelessness, critics say

Civil rights advocates have often accused the City of Chico of creating a “web of ordinances” that target unhoused people.

These advocates say the enforcement of anti-camping ordinances restrict the actions of homeless people by threatening fines, misdemeanor charges or jail time. Unhoused people in Chico have few options for where they may sit or sleep during the day or night or where they may place their property. They may face citations for violations, including for having a vehicle in which they sleep or for pushing a cart of belongings.

Chico was one of several cities that created a web of ordinances in the early 2010s that effectively criminalize homelessness, the ACLU said. In 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California said the number of ordinances and how Chico officials were wielding them against unhoused people helped fuel “dehumanizing” attitudes. read more