Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Tuesday, State Offices Observe Farmworkers Day Following César Chávez Holiday Change

CITY NEWS SERVICE

State departments and offices will be closed today, Tuesday, for Farmworkers Day after Pasadena Unified, LA County, and the city of Los Angeles closed Monday for the holiday.

The holiday previously honored César Chávez but was renamed and refocused after sexual abuse allegations against Chávez first surfaced publicly last week.

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the county Board of Supervisors approved the change last week, aligning with similar actions by state lawmakers and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who issued an executive order renaming the city’s observance.

County supervisors said the change was intended to shift the focus to the broader farm worker movement and its contributions, rather than a single individual.

“The abuses of one man should not diminish the extraordinary sacrifices and accomplishments of the farm worker movement, and renaming this holiday acknowledges that,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said last week.

“This past week has been heartbreaking for so many people on so many levels  for communities,

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Experts Discourage Buying Real Bunnies as Easter Gifts

By DAVID WEINER, City News Service

Animal rescue groups and shelter officials are urging people not to buy live rabbits or baby chickens as Easter gifts for children as Sunday’s holiday approaches.

Buying or adopting animals on a whim often leads to abandonment when the novelty wears off and families realize they’re not equipped to properly care for the pets. Instead of a live animal, rescue groups recommend buying a stuffed toy bunny or chocolate candy rabbit for kids’ Easter baskets.

“Every single year, we receive so many reports of people buying bunnies or chicks for Easter and discarding them once the novelty wears off,” Sarah McFarlane, faith outreach coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told City News Service. “Shelters are flooded with not only dogs and cats, but rabbits, who are the third most common pet in the shelters.

“Every time someone buys an animal from a breeder, a shelter animal loses a chance to find a loving home,”

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Analysis: Fire-Safe Homes Could Reduce Losses by One-Third in LA Fire Zones

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Rebuilding homes to fire-safe standards in areas burned by the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires could reduce insurance losses by about one-third, according to an analysis cited Monday by consumer advocates backing proposed state legislation.

The analysis, released Friday by the California Department of Insurance and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, found that meeting wildfire safety standards for roughly 30,000 homes within the Eaton and Pacific Palisades burn areas would significantly cut average annual losses.

“As Los Angeles continues to rebuild, local leaders face a pivotal choice: reconstruct to the same standards that left communities vulnerable, or seize this moment to build back with proven, science-based protections that will safeguard lives, property, and insurance access for decades to come,” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement Friday.

Consumer advocates said the findings support SB 1076, a bill that would require insurers to offer coverage to homeowners who meet state fire safety standards.

“The evidence is indisputable: If L.A.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Group Files Suit to Preserve LA County Criminal Justice Reform Measure

CITY NEWS SERVICE

An advocacy group filed a lawsuit Monday seeking a judicial declaration that voters’ approval of a Los Angeles County charter overhaul measure in 2024 did not inadvertently repeal a previous ballot item that required the county to annually set aside money for jail-diversion and other social service programs.

The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit by Californians United for a Responsible Budget seeks a judicial review and declaration that Measure J — approved by voters in November 2020 — remains in effect and enforceable, despite the 2024 approval of the Measure G charter-reform package.

Measure J requires the county to set aside 10% of its locally generated, unrestricted money and spend it on jail-diversion programs and other social services aimed at preventing people from landing behind bars. The funds were intended to be used on programs such as job training, business development, housing services and youth development.

But last year, county officials discovered that the measure was never codified in the county charter after it was approved by voters. 

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Arizona Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Eaton Fire Relief Fraud

CITY NEWS SERVICE

An Arizona woman was sentenced Monday in downtown Los Angeles to one year behind bars for having submitted a fraudulent claim for wildfire relief funds, listing a nonexistent Altadena address as her primary residence that she claimed was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, received more than $23,000 in disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency based on her false claims. She also made reservations through FEMA to stay at two hotels — one in downtown Los Angeles, the other in Hawthorne — during February and March of 2025, paid for by the government, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Along with the prison term, Woods was ordered by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson to pay approximately $23,000 in restitution to FEMA, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Woods pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court in October 2025 to one count of fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits.

Monday, March 30, 2026

Pasadena Unified to Hold Virtual Town Hall as District Campuses Remain Under Consolidation Review

Tuesday’s online session and evening advisory committee meeting arrive days after 56 speakers opposed closures at the Board

The Pasadena Unified School District will hold a virtual town hall Tuesday morning on its school consolidation process, days after a packed Board of Education meeting where 56 speakers opposed school closures.

Fourteen campuses across Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre remain under review for possible closure or consolidation as PUSD confronts a projected budget shortfall of $30 million to $35 million for the coming fiscal year and an enrollment decline of roughly 23% over the past decade. The advisory committee guiding the process deferred further narrowing at its most recent meeting, and at the March 26 Board session, 56 speakers — parents, students, teachers, and staff — lined up to oppose closures.

The virtual town hall, scheduled from 9:30 to 11 a.m., will be livestreamed in English and Spanish at pusd.us/townhall and recorded for later viewing at the same address. A separate in-person meeting of the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Monday, March 30, 2026

Want Government Records? This California Lawmaker Wants You to Pay More for Them

By Yue Stella Yu, CALMATTERS

Want to know what your government is up to? Be prepared to pay up.

A California state lawmaker wants to let public agencies charge an unspecified, uncapped fee if it takes their workers more than two hours to search for records to fulfill a public records request. The proposal is raising concerns among transparency advocates that the fees could deter Californians from accessing records they are constitutionally entitled to.

Assembly Bill 1821, authored by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, a Downey Democrat, would also allow the charge if government workers spend more than 10 hours within a month looking for documents requested by the same person. The proposal would apply to most people, with exemptions for journalists and educational or scientific institutions.

In a statement responding to CalMatters’ questions, Pacheco said public agencies have had to spend substantial time responding to a spike in the volume and scope of records requests.

Monday, March 30, 2026

Big Change for California Small Businesses: No More SBA Loans for Non-Citizens

By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS

Green-card holders no longer qualify for loans from the Small Business Administration, eliminating a longtime source of financing for immigrants that advocates say will discourage job creation and harm the economy.

The SBA limited access to its loans to U.S. citizens and nationals only starting in March, and expanded that policy to SBA-backed loans beginning in April. On top of that, any business that’s even partly owned by a permanent legal resident with a green card is no longer eligible for the loans.

California — which has the most small businesses and the largest immigrant population in the nation — could be most affected. SBA loans have been important to immigrant entrepreneurs because they typically are low-interest and available to those without an established credit history. The agency has also backed loans by private funders, providing a government guarantee for people banks may deem riskier. Now, all those loans are off the table for owners and would-be owners of restaurants,

Monday, March 30, 2026

Arizona Woman Faces Sentencing for Inventing Fake Altadena Address to Steal Eaton Fire Relief

Katrina Woods pleaded guilty to collecting more than $23,000 in FEMA disaster funds using a nonexistent North Lake Avenue address

An Arizona woman who fabricated a non-existent Altadena address in order to collect more than $23,000 in federal disaster relief meant for Eaton Fire victims is scheduled to be sentenced Monday afternoon in Los Angeles federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Katrina Marie Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. She had claimed to be a renter at 2060 N. Lake Ave. in Altadena — an address federal investigators determined does not exist — and told the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, according to court records and a U.S. Department of Justice statement.

FEMA disbursed approximately $23,441 in disaster relief to Woods, according to the Justice Department. Woods also used FEMA’s transitional sheltering program to book stays at two hotels — one in downtown Los Angeles,

Monday, March 30, 2026

Today Is First-Ever Farmworkers Day, Public Schools and County Offices Are Closed

County of ices and schools close Monday; state of ices and courts close Tuesday — but City of Pasadena services run all week

Pasadena residents face a split holiday week as the newly-named March 31 Farmworkers Day triggers two separate rounds of closures: Los Angeles County offices and public schools shut down Monday, March 30, while California state offices, courts, and the Department of Motor Vehicles close Tuesday, March 31.

The City of Pasadena, which does not officially observe the holiday, will remain fully operational both days. 

The closures reflect the newly renamed state holiday, formerly known as Cesar Chavez Day, which California lawmakers officially renamed Farmworkers Day last week following sexual abuse allegations against the United Farm Workers co-founder. 

Federal government services like the U.S. Postal Service and federal offices remain open for Farmworkers Day, and so do federally regulated banks. 

Los Angeles County, which traditionally observes the holiday on the last Monday of March,