###

PREVIOUSLY:

• CalFire is Planning to Move Its North Coast Headquarters to Rio Dell. So Why Are City Officials Worried?

###

Last we checked in with the Calfire Humboldt-Del Norte unit’s plan to move from its longtime base in Rohnerville Fortuna to Rio Dell, city officials were not entirely happy with the idea, which would take a prime developable parcel right next to the highway off the market. There go the tax revenue that new homes and businesses on that site might provide.

But the city has been dreaming such dreams for decades, and now the state owns the land. They’re moving forward with the new CalFire headquarters, and are now laying the groundwork for a required environmental impact report.

To that end, there’ll be a public meeting in Rio Dell on the evening of May 14. A full “notice of preparation,” including information about what they’re looking to learn at this meeting, can be found at this link.

It sounds like they’re going big. According to the notice of preparation, the new headquarters, the 18-acre site will include 

[A]n emergency command center; a future fire station; facilities to house administrative programs; a CAL FIRE training facility; Law Enforcement Program; Resource Management Program; State Fire Marshall Program, and related staff; facilities for onsite parking, maintenance, and use of CAL FIRE trucks and equipment; other support buildings; covered parking with photovoltaic panels; onsite circulation; a telecommunication tower; facility supporting infrastructure and utilities including a sewer system, domestic and fire water systems, stormwater detention, site lighting and fencing, and landscaping and irrigation.

###

Here’s the full meeting notice from California’s Department of General Services:

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), with assistance from the State of California Department of General Services (DGS), will be the lead agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) compliant with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to determine potentially significant adverse environmental impacts resulting from the construction and operation of the proposed CAL FIRE Humboldt – Del Norte Unit Headquarters Facility Relocation Project (also referred to as “the proposed project”). An Initial Study will not be prepared (CEQA Guidelines Section 15063[a]). DGS will rely on responsible and trustee agencies to provide information relevant to the analysis of resources falling within the jurisdiction of such agencies. Input is requested on:

• The scope and content of the environmental analysis, including identification of specific issues that will require closer study due to the location, scale, and character of the project;
• Mitigation, including that which would avoid or reduce potentially significant impacts; and
• Alternatives to the proposed project that could potentially avoid or reduce potentially significant impacts.

Written comments on the Notice of Preparation: The Notice of Preparation is being circulated for public review and comment for a period of 30 days beginning April 29, 2025. Written comments will be accepted through May 29, 2025. Comments, along with the name and contact information of the appropriate person in your organization, should be addressed to:

Stephanie Coleman, Senior Environmental Planner,
Department of General Services, Real Estate Services Division
Project Management and Development Branch / Environmental Unit
707 3rd Street, 4th Floor
West Sacramento, CA 95605
environmental@dgs.ca.gov

A public scoping meeting will be held to provide opportunities for agencies and interested parties to obtain information about the project, ask questions of the project team, and provide comments on the scope of the environmental analysis. A brief presentation on the proposed project and the CEQA process will be given at the start of the meeting, followed by an open house format where attendees will have the opportunity to talk to planning team members. All comments made at the meeting will have to be submitted in writing to be considered during preparation of the EIR.

• Date and Time: May 14, 2025, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Location: Rio Dell Elementary School Multipurpose Room — 95 Center Street, Rio Dell, CA 95562

###

DOCUMENTS:

• Notice of Preparation for the project

Press release from CASA (Court Appointed Social Advocates) of Humboldt:

Humboldt County, CA — CASA of Humboldt stands in solidarity with our national network in expressing deep concern over the recent federal decision to cut funding to the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA/GAL) Association. These cuts could significantly impact thousands of children in foster care nationwide who depend on trained CASA volunteers to advocate for their best interests.

We want to reassure our community that CASA of Humboldt is not directly impacted by this funding decision. Our program does not receive funding from National CASA, and we remain strong, stable, and fully committed to the children we serve in Humboldt County.

“Our work has always been rooted in local relationships, community dedication, and a deep belief that every child and family deserve to be seen, heard, and supported,” said Jeanne Gordon, Executive Director of CASA of Humboldt. “We are incredibly proud of the strength of our program and the tireless commitment of our volunteers, staff, and supporters who make this work possible every day.”

We are especially grateful for the ongoing support from our Judicial Council, Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, and California CASA, as well as numerous local grants, foundations, and individuals. The impact of that support was clearly evident this past weekend, when our community showed up for our kids and a record-breaking amount of funds were raised at our annual Hope Blooms Here Gala on Saturday, April 26.

Now more than ever, continued local support is vital. As national resources face uncertainty, our ability to provide high-quality advocacy to every local child in foster care depends on our community’s sustained involvement.

If you would like to support CASA of Humboldt—as a volunteer, donor, or advocate—please contact Amber Madrone Anderson at amber@humboldtcasa.org or (707) 443-3197.

Together, we can ensure that every child continues to have their voice heard and the consistent support they need and deserve.

###

###

Facing mounting financial losses, three local funeral homes abruptly ceased operations this month, leaving Humboldt County residents with just two options for local funerary and cremation services. 

The closure  — affecting Sanders Funeral Home and Humboldt Cremation & Funeral Service in Eureka, and Paul’s Chapel in Arcata — came just four months after workers formed an independent union, raising questions about whether the decision to shutter the facilities was driven solely by financial strain or influenced by tensions between the newly organized workers and out-of-state ownership.

In a recent interview with the Outpost, Guy Saxton, the Pennsylvania-based businessman who co-owns the three shuttered businesses, Ocean View Cemetery-Sunset Memorial Park, along with numerous other funeral homes and cemeteries across the country, emphatically denied claims that the decision to close had anything to do with the Humboldt Funerary Union. 

“We were just hemorrhaging money with no reasonable prospect of ever becoming profitable,” Saxton said, adding that the businesses were losing between $20,000 and $30,000 per month. In December, those losses ticked up to $40,000 when several pieces of equipment broke at once. “Not only was it costly to repair, but we also had to send our cremations to Ayers. It was a disaster.  … We considered two or three proposals to reorganize staff, but even those proposals didn’t have us breaking even. We would have still had to reinvest money to see if it was going to work, but there was really no path toward profitability.”

Asked why he and his business partner, John Yeatman, opted to close all three funeral homes at once rather than consolidating operations, Saxton said the facilities were all “run as one,” with most staff members working at all three locations. “And they were all losing money,” he added.

For decades — or in the case of Sanders, nearly 120 years — the three funeral homes provided local families with end-of-life planning and funerary services, ranging from traditional burials (the body is embalmed and buried in a casket, often with an accompanying ceremony) to direct cremation (the body is cremated without any viewing or funeral service). But traditional burials have been on a downward trend for decades as people gravitate toward more cost-effective options like cremation, which is often thousands — or even tens of thousands — of dollars cheaper than full-service ceremonies.

Data compiled in the National Funeral Directors Association’s “2024 Cremation & Burial Report” indicates that the U.S. cremation rate is “expected to increase from 61.9 percent in 2024 to 82.1 percent” by 2045. “The rising number of cremations can be attributed to changing consumer preferences, weakening religious prohibitions, cost considerations, and environmental concerns,” the report states. 

Aubree Baker, former funeral director at Sanders Funeral Home and provisional president of the Humboldt Funerary Union, acknowledged the industry-wide shift toward cremation and shared Saxton’s concerns about the financial impact on local funeral homes, but felt those issues could have been addressed by smarter business practices and consolidation, not shuttering services.

“We agreed with the employer that, for example, Paul’s Chapel and Humboldt Cremation should close and that all of the business coming through there could be handled at Sanders … and offer competitive pricing in that model,” Baker told the Outpost. “There were a lot of other ideas that were brought up over the years … but the employer just kept pushing back and telling us we have to change the general price lists. … The costs of doing business have increased steadily over the years and we haven’t seen any increase in prices that would offset some of those additional costs.”

Some of these issues were what inspired Baker and other employees to form a union in the first place. 

Forming the Humboldt Funerary Union

People who enter the death care industry aren’t in it for the pay. While salaries are generally dependent on experience and location, Google searches and online forums indicate that the average pay for a funeral director is comparable to a teacher’s salary. Comfortable, but not high-paying by any means. Baker entered the field, in part, because it gave more meaning to his own existence.

“It’s just something you’re drawn to. I’ve struggled with depression in my life, and while I was working with AmeriCorps doing removals as a kind of side gig, I had this renewed appreciation for my life,” he said. (In death care, removals refer to the process of moving a deceased person to a funeral home or other designated facility.) “Doing that work, being around death and being around people grieving really helped me — gosh, I’m getting sappy — appreciate the preciousness of life. It felt really comfortable to me to be in those types of environments and to help people through those moments.”

Megan Weshnak, former lead of operations and apprentice embalmer at Sanders Funeral Home and provisional vice president of the Humboldt Funerary Union, said her interest in the death care industry sparked when she was a teenager. Growing up in Los Angeles, the only air conditioner in the house was in her parents’ bedroom, where her mom had a collection of books about forensics that ignited an obsession.

“My parents were both at work during the summer, so I’d hang out in that air-conditioned room — they didn’t have a TV in there — and read these books by Patricia Cornwell,” she said. “The main character in the series is a medical examiner in Brockville, Virginia, and I just remember reading those books and being fascinated by the forensics and pathology — everything surrounding death investigation. And I was like, ‘I’m gonna do that! I’m gonna be the chief medical examiner at Quantico!’”

At the time, she didn’t realize how much schooling would be involved. She got into cosmetology after graduating from high school, but held onto her interest in death care. Years later, she found herself in a deep conversation with the embalmer for Paul’s Chapel.

“I just happened to run into her, and we had this hour-and-a-half conversation about all sorts of things. It ended with her saying, ‘I want to hire you,’” Weshnak said. “I started with removals, learning how to talk to grieving families and helping with daily operations. Eventually, I started the embalming apprenticeship, and I love it.”

“I do this because I can,” she continued. “It’s meaningful and it’s rewarding to me. So many people say, ‘I could never do what you do’, but I look at a Hospice nurse and say, ‘I can never do what you do’. Once someone is in my care, it’s about making that experience as peaceful as possible for the family.”

One of the problems with the death care industry, locally at least, is the lack of support for the people in it. Baker and Weshnak said they were driven to form a union to improve the “terms and conditions” of their employment, including increased access to mental health benefits and better pay.

“I think death care as a whole, not just in this particular company, is very underpaid. And there’s a significant mental health impact on the people that work in this field,” Weshnak said. “I don’t think the benefits really aligned with the needs of the people that worked [at the funeral homes]. … One specific thing we wanted to change was the pay structure for our removal staff. It was very difficult to get people to stay because it’s not very enticing work. In these negotiations, we were hoping to have removal staff paid in a similar manner as coroner’s on-call.”

While there are several trade associations representing funerary workers, unions are few and far between. Baker didn’t want to join a union representing a variety of trades, so he decided to create an independent union.

“We wanted to create something specific to us,” he said. “We know all of our issues and needs, so we felt it would serve us better if it were independent. That way, we would have control of it, versus having to put someone else in charge of our interests. The other thing is the timeline.  We could be a lot more expeditious if we went independent rather than trying to affiliate and going through a whole process with an established entity.”

One of the first steps in establishing a union is gauging support. At least 30 percent of employees must sign the authorization cards before the proposal can be presented to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for consideration. If more than 50 percent of employees sign authorization cards, the employer can choose to recognize the union without an election through the NLRB. 

In September of 2024, Baker distributed the authorization cards and received signatures from a majority of employees. He shared the news with the business owner during a staff meeting and, later that night, sent an email to request formal recognition. The next day, he was asked to join a conference call with upper management.

“It was veiled as a sort of strategic meeting around some changes in business practices,” Baker recalled. “They said the businesses weren’t doing well, and they were having to make some changes to avoid continued financial loss. We felt that they were implying – or possibly threatening — layoffs or closure. A few days later, the owner [Saxton] showed up. He didn’t talk about the union, he just walked around and brought a friend over to look at the buildings.”

Baker said he hadn’t met Saxton in the five years he worked for the three funeral homes. During a subsequent meeting, Baker was informed that the company wasn’t going to voluntarily recognize the union, meaning the proposal would have to go through the NLRB process. 

“They said, ‘We know you think that you should be in the union, but we think you shouldn’t.’ We’re just letting you know because that’s how we’re filing this petition,” Baker said. “Then we went through this intense nine-hour hearing with the labor board in November. … Long story short, the union was victorious in our hearing, and I was found to be eligible for union participation.”

“And then the smear campaign began,” he added.

While employees waited for the NLRB to make a final decision, someone began distributing flyers containing misinformation about the aspiring union. The flyers alleged that Baker was attempting to fool employees and making false promises about the union.

“Aubree never said any of that,” Weshnak said. “It’s very strange that these are the things they’re putting in there. Tell people they cannot vote, or that their [authorization] card signature was their vote? That’s 100 percent not true. It’s just an attempt to trick employees.”

The smear campaign failed, and in mid-January, the NLRB certified the Humboldt Funerary Union. Over the next few weeks, the union started meeting and distributing educational materials to members. They started getting documents together for post-certification. “That’s when the company said they were going to lay people off,” Baker said. 

The union fought back, arguing that the company couldn’t fire anyone because it would go against “status quo,” the agreed-upon terms and conditions of employment. “They can’t make any changes to our terms and conditions of employment without bargaining,” Baker said. 

“We pushed hard,” he continued. “They presented their concerns and reasoning for wanting to do layoffs, certain financial goals they were trying to accomplish. And we replied with, ‘Here’s some things that we will do and some other things you can try. We project that if you do all these things, it would essentially meet your goals.’ They said, ‘No, we need to lay people off.’”

While union leaders weighed the pros and cons of standing their ground to “save as many jobs as possible,” the company started taking actions “to imply closure,” Baker said. 

“They told all of us to stop ordering merchandise, to only sell off the floor,” he said. “We also heard from an employee at the cemetery that the funeral homes were closing. That communication was not happening with the union. So we asked, ‘Are you guys closing or not? We’re hearing rumors, and you’re acting like you’re closing.’ And they said, ‘We haven’t made a final decision yet.’”

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act bars employers from threatening employees with adverse consequences, such as closing a workplace, if they support a union, engage in union activity, or select a union to represent them. However, it can be incredibly difficult to prove if a violation has occurred, especially if the issues predate the union. 

“Whether or not an argument could be made, we’re a new, independent union. We don’t have money for legal counsel. How could we fight a complex case like this?” Baker asked. “The only last-ditch effort we had to save the company and everyone’s jobs was to relent on layoffs. We made a counterproposal that would preserve the financials. … A few days after we made that offer, they said they were closing all three funeral homes.”

I asked Baker and Weshnak if there was any indication that closure was imminent before unionization efforts started. Baker said he was aware that the company “was not terribly successful,” noting that there was a long-time manager who “was not attending to the financials as carefully and aggressively as they should have.” 

During our conversation, Saxton maintained that the closures have nothing to do with the union, reiterating several times that the decision to shutter the businesses “was purely financial.” He said he wasn’t able to relay to the union just how bad the financial situation had gotten because of the “quiet period,” a term applied to companies in the process of going public. During a “quiet period,” companies must restrict certain communications and public information to ensure investors have access to the same information at the same time. 

“It means that you can’t share information that might look like you’re trying to put your thumb on the scale or intimidate people to vote in a certain way,” Saxton said. “Once we got the request to unionize, I couldn’t come out and say, ‘Hey guys, just want to let you know we’re losing a lot of money.’ That’s not technically allowed. My understanding — I’m not an expert —  is, at that point, you can’t really tell them because it could influence the vote.”

As soon as it was possible, Saxton said he shared financials with the union. At that point, he went over a few restructuring plans with the union but was met with resistance, due to proposed layoffs. “Even if we restructured, it was a Hail Mary to try to not lose money,” he said. “And eventually, we just ran out of time.”

Employees were informed of the impending closure around the beginning of April, and layoffs soon followed. As of this writing, the websites for all three funeral homes indicate business as usual. A call to each business was answered by polite people working for an outsourced phone service company who confirmed that the businesses were not accepting new cases.

Asked whether the businesses and properties were for sale, Saxton laughed at the question and asked if I had taken business classes or understood the value of a business. 

“Would you buy something with perfect knowledge that into the future you would always lose money?” he asked. “No. We’ve listed the real estate at Paul’s for sale. I mean, if somebody wants to buy it and put a funeral home in there, they can do that. I’m told that that’s not the highest and best use for that property, and it’s going to probably end up being something else.”

Saxton said he intends to sell Sanders as well, though the property has yet to be listed. 

Impacts on Remaining Mortuaries

The closure of the three funeral homes means Ayers Family Cremation and Goble’s Fortuna Mortuary will have to pick up the slack. Baker and Weshnak spoke highly of their former competitors but worried that the sudden uptick in cases could overwhelm their facilities.

“We handled over 500 cases a year between the three businesses,” Baker said. “Most of the death care in this community will have to be absorbed by the two other funeral homes, and it’s a huge impact. Not to mention that Sanders Funeral Home has been in business for over 100 years. It’s a huge loss to the community in terms of that legacy and all of the families that have used Sanders’ services over the years.”

Saxton said he’s been in contact with the owners about the closures and said he would be willing to help with transferring cases during the transition. 

Reached for additional comment, Chuck Ayers, owner of Ayers Family Cremation, told the Outpost that his staff is preparing for a larger call volume and plans to expand some of their services to meet local demand. Ayers will take over some of the burial services that were previously provided by Paul’s Chapel. Goble’s will take over the rest, he said. 

“I don’t think it’ll be drastic,” he said. “My understanding is that those three facilities [handle] less than 50 percent of local business. … It’ll be a substantial number of calls for us to take on, but not so much to overwhelm the two remaining mortuaries.”

The thing that keeps coming up, Ayers said, is concerns about prearrangements with the shuttered businesses. People who’ve prepaid for funeral or cremation services can have their arrangements easily moved to Ayers of Goble’s. 

“We’re really getting the brunt of this frustration,” he said. “That money is safe. It doesn’t disappear with the closure of a funeral home. We can help transfer it, but there may be fees owed. It just depends on the case.”

The Outpost also contacted the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office about anticipated impacts associated with the closure. Sergeant Brandon Head said it’s difficult to determine the scale of the impact because the coroner’s office doesn’t keep tabs on each funeral home’s case volume, storage capacity or total cremation numbers. 

If storage capacity becomes an issue, he said the coroner’s division would be willing to “help out where possible if decedents need to stay in storage longer than usual.” In 2024, his office conducted 350 death investigations, nearly 200 of which were determined to be natural causes. Another 400 deaths were reported to the coroner’s division in 2024, but did not require a full investigation.

“The severity of impact will depend on how the remaining companies adapt to the change and handle a likely increase in case load,” he wrote via email. “The remaining mortuaries offer a variety of services. I would hope the community still has access to what they need. It may just take a little longer to put their loved one to rest.”

The closure of the three facilities has hit Baker particularly hard. Not only did he lose the job he loved, but he also lost his on-site housing at the funeral home.

“I’ve lived there for over a year,” he said, noting that it’s common practice for funeral directors to live on-site to accommodate families in distress at any hour. “It’s not the company’s fault at all, but my personal financial situation is such that I may have to file for bankruptcy because of the sudden loss of income. The personal impact is really dire.”

Baker and Weshnak both expressed concerns about job prospects, given that they work in such a niche industry.

“I have a lot of different skills, but they’re all specific trades,” she said. “Could be an office administrator? No. Could I be a service advisor? Yes. Could I be a hairstylist? Yes. Could I work as a death care provider? Yes. … Not only that, but it seems everyone I talk to is getting laid off from their jobs right now. There’s a lot of people looking for work and not enough jobs.”

Neither Baker and Weshnak could say what’s next for their careers, but their dream is to open a new local death care facility that would offer alternative services and green burial practices, including green burials and human composting.

“That would be a huge benefit to our community,” Weshnak said. “We have all of these experienced death care professionals that work in death care for a reason. It’s a labor of love.”

###

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

###

In its first hundred days, through a series of executive orders, the Trump administration has reimagined this country’s social contract with its citizens.

The administration pledges more opportunities and fewer guarantees, less forgiveness and more consequences. Its 139 executive orders issued since Jan. 20 form an outline of American life as imagined by its most conservative residents, concentrating power in a unitary executive who can force changes as transformative as the New Deal.

The deluge means California, usually the state suing to advance a progressive agenda, now finds itself fighting in court to preserve the status quo – playing defense, not offense. Instead of arguing for higher vehicle emissions standards or broadening the definition of a waterway, the state has filed or joined 16 lawsuits against the Trump administration since Jan. 20 on issues ranging from preserving birthright citizenship to restoring billions of dollars in health and medical grants.

That effort continued on Tuesday with a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s extensive cuts to AmeriCorps.

“We’ve had plenty of instances of California needing to play defense, going back to the Reagan administration,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law. “I think what’s different from the first term is qualitatively, how much of a disregard they have for the Constitution and the law.”

Attorney General Rob Bonta, who took office in 2021, said the difference between the first and second Trump administrations has been the speed and pure number of executive orders filed early in his tenure.

“The comparison with Trump 1.0 shows that it is high volume, high speed (this time),” Bonta said. “We’ve brought a lawsuit more than once a week in the first hundred days, and during Trump 1.0 there were about 120 lawsuits over four years.

“We’re gonna hit around 100 at this rate in two years, so it’s almost double the pace.”

States and organizations challenging Trump in his first term won close to 70% of their legal battles, albeit a number of them were abandoned when Trump left office in 2021. That encompassed 123 lawsuits over four years, at a cost of about $10 million per year. This time around, state legislators set aside $50 million to cover the state’s legal bills.

Bonta said he expects the pace of the lawsuits to continue.

“Any time and every time the Trump administration breaks the law, we will take them to court,” Bonta said. “It’s very not normal and also not acceptable that we have an administration that so blatantly, brazenly, frequently and consistently breaks the law.”

The verbs used in the executive orders promise to “unleash,” “restore” and “reform” various elements of American life, from oil and gas rights to dominion over the ocean. One order targets “the Obama-Biden war on showers.” But the most far-reaching executive orders are the ones in California’s sights, including tariffs, birthright citizenship and voting rights.

Those at the forefront of conservative legal theory find the executive orders to be a vindication of a textualist, originalist read of the Constitution and an end to the “administrative state” in which regulators and bureaucrats are politically and legally insulated from the decisions they make.

Conservatives celebrate Trump’s strategy

One of the earliest defenses of the Trump administration’s legal strategy was delivered by Catholic University of America law professor J. Joel Alicea at the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Originalism Lecture in March.

“Over the last three months, we have seen President Trump directly challenge the delegation of power by Congress to administrative agencies and the insulation of power from presidential supervision,” Alicea said. “Contrary to the press’s depiction of such actions, they are hopeful developments for the rule of law.”

The stakes are high, Alicea said, and the opportunity for constitutional originalists is now, after more than a century of progressivism.

“It required two progressive presidents of extraordinary determination and political skill — Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt — to create the administrative state and impose a progressive constitutional and political theory on our structure of government,” Alicea said. “It stands to reason that it will require another president of extraordinary determination and political skill to undo what his predecessors accomplished.”

The presidential administration California is fighting is not the one the state’s lawyers first faced off with in 2017. This time, the Trump administration came better prepared, worked faster and had a more concrete vision for a legal framework, Chemerinsky said.

“I think that they were so much better prepared,” Chemerinsky said. “And they really had the flood-the-zone mentality.”

The difference between the first and second Trump administration’s legal strategy is the 2025 version’s contempt for due process and the rule of law, Chemerinsky said.

“He didn’t try to end birthright citizenship in his first term,” Chemerinsky said. “He didn’t try to put people in a prison in El Salvador in his first term, he didn’t claim the ability to refuse to spend money appropriated by federal statute in his first term, he didn’t claim that he could fire anyone in the executive branch, even if there’s a statute limiting it.

“He’s taking executive power so much further than the first term, than any president ever has.”

Where will U.S. Supreme Court draw the line?

In its lawsuit against the Trump administration over its order that voters provide proof of citizenship, California’s attorneys alleged that the executive order interferes with the state’s right to govern itself and usurps Congress’s power to legislate.

“It bears emphasizing: the President has no power to do any of this,” the lawsuit asserts. “Neither the Constitution nor Congress has authorized the President to impose documentary proof of citizenship requirements or to modify State mail-ballot procedures.”

Much of the fight over that order and the others challenged by California will take place under the shadow of a U.S. Supreme Court that has consistently voted 6-3 to uphold elements of the Trump agenda.

“I think that the (Supreme Court) ultimately is gonna rule in favor of Trump’s ability to fire members of agencies,” Chemerinsky said. “I think that there’s others that Trump has done, like end birthright citizenship, put people in prison in El Salvador, where I don’t think he’s likely to succeed.”

Chemerinsky said he’s not sure where the Supreme Court could or would draw a line in the sand.

“I would’ve thought the line would be taking people, putting them in El Salvador and claiming that no court could provide release,” Chemerinsky said. “I still think that’s going to be the red line, but I don’t think it’s gonna be unanimous.”

###

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

###

A bill that could reshape literacy education in California elementary schools cleared a major hurdle in the Legislature this week after dueling sides reached a compromise that provides funding for phonics-based instruction but stops short of requiring it.

The compromise between English learner advocates and those who back the so-called “science of reading” or “evidence-based” approach provides funding and support for phonics-focused instruction, but doesn’t require schools or teachers to participate.

Still, the legislative language, which was added to an existing bill, represents an important milestone in the fight over how schools teach children to read. For years, arguments over phonics have stalled progress on literacy policy, even as statewide reading scores have remained stubbornly low.

“It’s exciting for California. A lot of work went into this, and it shows opposing sides can come together and find solutions,” said Marshall Tuck, director of EdVoice, an education nonprofit. “This will be a really good thing for California kids.”

The bill, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, a Democrat from West Covina, and Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance, requires the state to provide training for teachers and instructional materials centered on phonics-focused literacy instruction, which includes vocabulary, comprehension, the ability to sound words out and other literacy basics. The materials and training must also address the specific needs of English learners, who make up about 18% of the state’s 5.8 million K-12 students.

“We recognize the role of the Legislature in proposing solutions to improve literacy that uplifts the unique needs of multilingual learners and honors their home languages and cultures — which is why we are proud to support AB 1454,” said Martha Hernandez, director of Californians Together, an English learner advocacy group, in a statement.

Tuck said he’s confident most schools will opt to use the new instructional materials and send their teachers to learn the ins-and-outs of teaching phonics, because they’ll want to take advantage of the funding. He said he’s not overly fazed by the fact that the material isn’t required.

Previous opposition

Previous bills to require a phonics-based approach have died, in part because not everyone agrees that phonics is the best way to teach students whose first language isn’t English. Hernandez’s group has argued that those students need an approach that gives equal weight to vocabulary and oral language development in addition to phonics.

The California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union, has fought reading instruction mandates in the past, saying teachers — not legislators — are in the best position to assess the needs of individual students, and they need maximum flexibility in the classroom. The union has so far been neutral on this bill.

Research has shown that most students learn to read through explicit instruction focused on sounding words out, alongside lessons in vocabulary and comprehension. The other primary approach emphasizes sight reading, in which students memorize whole words and piece together meaning through context.

Nearly 40 states have required phonics-based reading instruction in recent years. Some school districts in California, including Los Angeles Unified, the largest district in the state, already use curricula that’s focused on phonics. But about 80% of districts don’t, according to research by the California Reading Coalition, a literacy advocacy group.

Stalled reading scores

California’s reading scores were steadily climbing before the pandemic, but fell during remote learning and have stalled since then. Almost 60% of third graders weren’t reading at grade level last year, with some student groups, including Black and low-income students, lagging even further behind. By fourth grade students should be reading well enough to easily understand content, according to the state’s literacy standards.

The bill, scheduled for a hearing today, was originally introduced in February but its primary focus was on school heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. Advocates tacked on the literacy component this week, which is detailed in the bill analysis and will likely be incorporated into the bill language later this week. It replaces a previous bill, also sponsored by Rubio, that died last week.

Because the bill is sponsored by the Assembly speaker, it’s expected to pass the Assembly. Any bill that costs money may face an uphill battle in the current economic climate, but Gov. Gavin Newsom has supported literacy efforts in the past.

In Loving Memory
Mary Elizabeth Borges
October 27, 1924 – April 21, 2025

Mary Elizabeth Borges, age 100, passed away peacefully on April 21, 2025, at the Ida Emmerson Hospice House, surrounded by her loving family.

Mary was born to Frank and Mary Toste at their home on the family ranch in the Arcata bottoms on October 27, 1924. She spent her entire life in Arcata, growing up and later raising her family less than a mile from where she was born.

At the age of 19, Mary married the love of her life, Tony Borges, on October 16, 1943. Together, they built a beautiful life and raised three children: Linda, Toni and Ron. After 32 wonderful years of marriage, Tony passed away unexpectedly, leaving Mary widowed at the age of 51. With her trademark strength, grace and positivity, Mary carried on with resilience and enthusiasm.

Mary was blessed with many wonderful friendships throughout her life. Even as she outlived many dear friends, her circle remained strong. Her 100th birthday celebration, attended by more than 200 family members and friends, was a true testament to the love and admiration she inspired. It was a joyful day of remembrance and gratitude.

Growing up during the Great Depression on a dairy farm, Mary and her brothers learned the value of hard work early on. In her father’s eyes, work took precedence over education, and Mary completed school only through the eighth grade before dedicating herself to full-time work on the family ranch.

In her mid-thirties, while raising her young family, Mary pursued further education by attending night classes at Arcata and Eureka High Schools, while Tony cared for their children. Equipped with new skills in accounting, she began working as a clerk and eventually became a bookkeeper — a role she proudly held until her retirement.

Over the years, Mary and Tony enjoyed traveling across the United States and abroad. After Tony’s passing, Mary continued her adventures with close friends, creating memories she would fondly recount even at 100 years old.

A nurturer by nature, Mary loved gardening and cooking for her family and friends — no one ever left her home hungry. She took great pride in her flourishing garden, especially her cherished roses.

Through life’s many trials and triumphs, Mary’s strong faith and love for life always carried her through. Blessed with good health until the very end, she remained active and independent. Although she hired a lawn service for mowing, every weed pulled from her yard was done by her own hands — always! Growing up on a ranch instilled in her a lifelong love of hard work, a quality fondly remembered by all who knew her. Mary Borges was truly an amazing woman.

Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Tony Borges; her parents, Frank and Mary Toste; her brother and sister-in law, Frank Jr. and Emma Toste: her sister-in-law, Sarie Toste

She is survived by her loving children: Linda Day (Kennie), Toni Kolshinski (Jack), and Ron Borges (Kay); her cherished grandchildren: Nate Schultz (Mindy), Justin Kolshinski, Tobin Kolshinski (Amy), Stacie Borges Valdez (Pedro), and Taylor Borges (Ryan); and her treasured great-grandchildren: Kenzie and Kaden Schultz, Kody and Jackson Kolshinski, and Austin, Kindal, and Kamryn Kolshinski, and Beckham Valdez.

Mary is also survived by her brother, Alvin Toste; her nephew, Jim Toste; her niece, Colleen Toste; and her special neighbor and dear friend, Bonnie Souza, with whom she shared daily walks and heartfelt conversations.

A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. on May 5, 2025, followed by a Memorial Mass at 11 a.m. on May 6, 2025, both at Saint Mary’s Church, 1690 Janes Road, Arcata. A reception will follow: 1 p.m. at Baywood Golf & Country Club.

Mary Borges will be remembered as a woman of incredible strength, boundless warmth, and enduring love. Her beautiful spirit and unwavering kindness will continue to live on in all those who knew and loved her.

Though she may be gone from our sight, her love and lessons will remain in our hearts forever.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1690 Janes Road, Arcata, Ca. 95521.

Ralph Edward Johnson passed away March 28, 2025, due to complications from open heart surgery. He passed peacefully, surrounded by both his children and his brother Robert and sister-in-law Mary.

Dad was born on October 1, 1950, in Laurel Mississippi to Leroy and Neva (Jones) Johnson. His father worked as a sharecropper. It was hard work and the whole family worked on the farm as well. Their family moved to California in 1960 and settled in Fortuna. Our Dad was an exceptionally good student and athlete. He played baseball and football all through his youth, up to playing some college football at Humboldt State. Baseball was his true love, though.

In 1972, Dad married Karen Chamberlain and so began their life together. They were married almost 50 years before Mom passed away from cancer just three months before their anniversary. Unable to have children, they adopted both Kay in 1974 and Jacob in 1975. Our Dad was patient and always willing to support Jacob and I in whatever endeavors we chose to pursue, from my showing horses and Jacob playing baseball and high school rodeo.

Baseball was such a huge part of Dad’s life. He loved to play and coach. Dad was President of the Fortuna Little League Association for many years. He and Mom put in so many hours into that program, and they created a great program from fundraising to get the outdoor lights installed and to getting the girls softball program up and running.

Dad worked in the woods running Cat for many years and worked for a few different logging outfits. After dealing with back issues, it was impossible for him to continue running heavy equipment, so he went back to his family’s roots and started ranching. Operating as JKR Ranch, it is a family business running out of Garberville on the Kinsey Ranch. Dad loved getting back to this life and creating something from nothing. He and Mom created a beautiful place to entertain family and friends. Mom loved her yard and Dad loved showing off his vegetable garden. The man could grow a garden!

Dad loved his grand- and great-grandchildren. He wanted them to hang out at the ranch as much as possible. We had some great times at the ranch, especially Christmas time. Our folks made these gatherings fun.

Ralph is preceded in death by his beautiful wife Karen, his parents, Leroy and Neva, his sister Betty Coyle and sister Connie Doris. Also, his in-laws Jack and Jeanne Chamberlain and his nephew Darren Carter. Ralph is survived by his daughter Kay Challoner and his son, Jacob (Tara) Johnson, his grandchildren; Melissa (Rusty) Calkins, Sage, Savanah and Sydney Johnson, great grandchildren Julia and Gavin Calkins. Brother Robert (Mary) Johnson and many nieces and nephews. Brothers-in-law Brad (Nancy) Chamberlain, Rod (Deb) Chamberlain and Jay Chamberlain.

Dad was a member of the California Cattlemen’s Association. He worked at the Humboldt Auction Yard for many years helping on the Wednesday auction days. He was supportive of his nieces and nephews who raised animals through FFA & 4H Club. He loved to see the youth in Humboldt County continue the fair tradition.

Dad was a man of deep faith and loved his Lord Jesus Christ. His passing is easier knowing that he is pain free and with our mom again. Our family will be celebrating his life with a private family gathering and BBQ this summer.

Our family would like to thank the following: Cal Fire Garberville Station, thank you for getting to our Dad as quickly as you did. The volunteer firemen who went with the Cal Fire trucks and City Ambulance. How the ambulance made it on the back road to the ranch was unbelievable. The ER staff at Garberville Gerald Phelps hospital. Providence Queen of the Valley hospital in Napa. ICU nurses and doctors were so amazing to take time and speak with all of us, and how you took care of Dad, thank you so much. UC Davis Medical Center, ICU staff, unbelievable staff. We received phone calls multiple times a day to let us know what was happening. They took time out of their busy day to call, we were so thankful. Finally, UC Davis Hospice was amazing. Hospice Nurse, Brad was there the whole time Dad was transitioning from removal of life support to his last breath, thank you for being there with us.

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ralph Johnson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.