California Politics 360 Full Episode | Sexual abuse allegations against César Chávez

Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta broke her silence, saying she was also sexually abused by Chávez. It led to the birth of two children, a secret she kept for 60 years.

SEX ABUSE ALLEGATIONS SURFACE AGAINST LABOR RIGHTS LEADER CESAR CHAVEZ. THIS IS A TIME TO SAY THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE, IF YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG TO SOMEBODY, YOU SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT. HOW STATE LEADERS ARE RESPONDING. REFLECT ON A FARM WORKERS MOVEMENT AND A LABOR MOVEMENT THAT WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN ONE MAN. WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MORE OVERSIGHT BY THE NEWSOM ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO SCRAP A NEW 911 SYSTEM. IT’S ALREADY COST TAXPAYERS NEARLY HALF $1 BILLION. SITTING DOWN WITH CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR, WE CAN’T HAVE A STATE WHERE WE HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS. WE HAVE IDEAS. PEOPLE PASS AND NOTHING HAPPENS. DEMOCRAT TOM STEYER ON HIS VISION FOR CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR CALIFORNIA POLITICS 360. I’M ASHLEY ZAVALA SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS SURFACED THIS WEEK AGAINST LABOR RIGHTS ACTIVIST CESAR CHAVEZ. THE NEW YORK TIMES REVEALED IN A MULTIYEAR INVESTIGATION THAT CHAVEZ IS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING TWO UNDERAGED GIRLS IN THE 1970S. BOTH WOMEN TOLD THE TIMES THEY STAYED SILENT FOR YEARS WITH FEARS THIS WOULD TARNISH HIS LEGACY. CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER DOLORES HUERTA BROKE HER SILENCE, SAYING SHE ALSO WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED BY CHAVEZ, LEADING TO THE BIRTH OF TWO CHILDREN, A SECRET SHE KEPT FOR 60 YEARS. NEWS THAT SHOCKED STATE LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE, INCLUDING GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM. IT’S BEEN HARD TO ABSORB THIS. YOU KNOW, JEN AND I ARE VERY CLOSE WITH DOLORES. SO MANY OF US ARE, BUT VERY CLOSE HAVE BEEN FOR DECADES AND DECADES. AND NONE OF US KNEW. AND SO WE’RE JUST I THINK ALL OF US ARE PROCESSING IT. AND, YOU KNOW, AND JUST THESE KIDS HAVE TO PROCESS IT NOW. I MEAN, I THINK THERE’S BROOKS WAS THREE DOZEN SCHOOLS IN THE STATE ARE NAMED AFTER CESAR CHAVEZ. I DON’T KNOW, COMMUNITY IN THE COUNTRY. I TRAVELED TO 14 STATES LAST FEW WEEKS. I THINK I WAS, YOU KNOW, IN 14 CESAR CHAVEZ STREETS IN EVERY PART OF THIS COUNTRY. SO WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO REFLECT ON ALL OF THAT AND, YOU KNOW, REFLECT ON A FARM WORKERS MOVEMENT AND A LABOR MOVEMENT THAT WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN ONE MAN. AND CELEBRATE THAT. NOW THERE’S A PUSH TO QUICKLY RENAME CESAR CHAVEZ DAY TO FARM WORKERS DAY IN CALIFORNIA, REACHED OUT TO WE REACHED OUT TO DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WHO REPRESENT LATINOS AND HISPANICS AT OUR STATE CAPITOL. DEMOCRATIC LATINO LEADERS DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST. EARLIER THIS WEEK, I SAT DOWN WITH REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALEXANDRA MACEDO. HERE’S PART OF OUR CONVERSATION. WE SAW A LOT OF DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT RESPONSE TO THE CESAR CHAVEZ ALLEGATIONS. JUST WHAT IS WHAT ARE YOU HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES REACTING AT THIS POINT? WE’RE ALL SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. AND IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT IT CAME AT THE TIME IT DID, BECAUSE NOW WE ONLY HAVE TWO WEEKS UNTIL WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CESAR CHAVEZ DAY. THE RESOLUTION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HEARD ON THE FLOOR TODAY. AND SO I’M VERY GRATEFUL THAT I GUESS THE TIMING WAS BEFORE. AND NOW WE CAN GIVE THE VICTIMS THE JUSTICE THEY DESERVE. AND AS STATE LEGISLATORS, WE NEED TO OFFER SOLUTIONS. AND SO OBVIOUSLY, AMIDST THE NEWS, I THOUGHT, THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WANTING FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH IS WE NEED TO HONOR THE ENTIRE FARM WORKER MOVEMENT BECAUSE I DON’T BELIEVE IT WAS A SINGULAR PERSON OR A SINGULAR INCIDENT THAT DEFINED THE FARM WORKER MOVEMENT. IT IS YEARS OF PEOPLE MAKING SACRIFICES AND BEING DEDICATED TO THIS PARTICULAR MOVEMENT. AND THIS IS A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT. WHAT FARM WORKERS ARE ACHIEVING ON A DAILY BASIS IS TRULY INCREDIBLE. AND THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY THIS ON. SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A SMALL HOMAGE TO FARM WORKERS TO GIVE THEM A DAY THAT WE HONOR THEM, BECAUSE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY, WHERE I REPRESENT EVERY DAY IS FARM WORKER DAY. THEY ARE THE BACKBONE OF WHAT WE DO. THEY ARE CRITICAL TO WHAT WE DO. WE LOVE THEM, WE HONOR THEM, WE RESPECT THEM AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REST OF CALIFORNIA DOES AS WELL. HOURS AFTER THE NEW YORK TIMES RELEASED THE REPORT, YOU CAME OUT AND FILED LEGISLATION TO CHANGE THE DAY IMMEDIATELY. IT LOOKS LIKE DEMOCRATS HAD TO HUDDLE BEFORE MAKING A DECISION ON WHAT EXACTLY TO DO. THE GOVERNOR SAID IMMEDIATELY HE WAS OPEN TO CHANGING. AND AFTER YOU FILED YOUR LEGISLATION THE FOLLOWING DAY, DEMOCRATS SAID, OKAY, WE WANT TO NAME IT FARM WORKERS DAY. JUST ARE YOU ALL WORKING TOGETHER? IS THIS A BIPARTISAN MOMENT WE’LL SEE IN CALIFORNIA? I AM SUPER OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT GOING INTO NEXT WEEK. WE’RE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING. LET’S JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. THIS IS WHAT CALIFORNIANS NEED THINGS AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN QUICKLY IN CALIFORNIA. CALIFORNIA IS WHAT RESULTS THEY WANT SOLUTIONS. THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID IT. THE SPEAKER AND THE PRO TEM HAVE SAID IT. I HAVE SAID IT. MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING IT. LET’S JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN AND DO THE RIGHT THING. ARE THERE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE UFW THAT YOU’RE HEARING IN THE LEGISLATURE? I MEAN, COULD WE SEE AN UNPACKING OF THE ALLEGATIONS THAT WERE MADE PUBLIC THIS WEEK AND THE UFW INVOLVEMENT? HOW MUCH DID THEY KNOW? HOW LITTLE DID THEY KNOW? WERE THEY CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THIS NEW YORK TIMES INVESTIGATION? ARE YOU LOOKING INTO THAT? I THINK THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG WHEN IT COMES TO THE PEOPLE THAT WILL COME FORWARD, THAT HAVE FELT SILENCED FOR YEARS, FOR YEARS. AND MY HEART IS WITH ALL VICTIMS OF THIS, WHETHER YOU COME FORWARD OR YOU HAVEN’T. THIS IS A MOMENT THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR JUSTICE. AND I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS. THAT HAS HAPPENED. AND THIS IS A TIME TO SAY THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE, IF YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG TO SOMEBODY, YOU SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT. THIS IS A TIME NOW THAT REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN CAN COME TOGETHER AND JUST SAY, LET’S FIX IT. AND MAYBE THIS IS A SMALL STEP THAT WE CANNOT REMOVE THE TRAUMA OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH, BUT WE CAN GIVE THEM SOME SOLACE IN KNOWING THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO LOOK AT MARCH 31ST EVERY YEAR AS SOMETHING TO RELIVE THAT TRAUMA. THEY CAN CELEBRATE AND HONOR THE ENTIRE FARM WORKER MOVEMENT. AS FOR THE UFW, I’M SURE THAT THEY ARE STRATEGIZING AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN PROTECT THOSE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THIS, AND HOPEFULLY THEY DO JUSTICE AS WELL. ASSEMBLYWOMAN MOSQUITO ROAD, I ALSO DISCUSSED WHAT SHE’S HEARING FROM FARMWORKERS IN HER DISTRICT AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MOVING FORWARD. WELL, WHO WILL BE CALIFORNIA’S NEXT GOVERNOR? MY SIT DOWN CONVERSATION WITH CANDIDATE TOM STEYER, WHY HE SAYS HE WANTS THE JOB AND HIS PLAN TO LOWER COSTS FOR DISCOUNTED $5,000 LA MESA REC VAN FUELING YOUR JOURNEY FOR OVER 50 YEARS. THIS YEAR, CALIFORNIA VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHO THEY WANT AS THEIR NEXT GOVERNOR. EVERY WEEK LEADING UP TO THE JUNE PRIMARY, WE WILL HEAR FROM ONE OF THE TOP TEN CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE STATE’S HIGHEST POSITION. THIS WEEK, I SAT DOWN WITH DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE TOM STEYER TO GET HIS THOUGHTS ON THE MAJOR ISSUES IMPACTING CALIFORNIANS. SITTING DOWN WITH TOM STEYER, THIS IS A HARD TIME AND A HARD JOB. WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE GOVERNOR RIGHT NOW? I WANT TO BE GOVERNOR BECAUSE I THINK CALIFORNIA NEEDS A RESULTS ORIENTED CHANGE MAKER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT WE’RE FACING. THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM OF WHICH IS CALIFORNIA’S CAN’T AFFORD TO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA ANYMORE. THE BILLIONAIRE EYEING THE STATE’S HIGHEST OFFICE AT A TOUGH TIME FOR EVERYDAY CALIFORNIANS. YOU BEING A BILLIONAIRE, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO JUST FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T ACTUALLY RELATE TO HOW MUCH IT ACTUALLY COSTS TO LIVE IN THIS STATE? WELL, ALL I CAN SAY IS TWO THINGS. ONE, I SPEND MY TIME TRAVELING AROUND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TALKING TO PEOPLE. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE AND LOOK THEM IN THE EYE, THEY’RE NOT A STATISTIC ANYMORE. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO’S LIVING IN THEIR CAR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN HOMELESS AND WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE. BUT IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEEING IT AND ACTUALLY FEELING IT? I STARTED WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, AND I’VE NEVER INHERITED A SINGLE PENNY. SO I’M SOMEONE WHO’S HAD TO START AT THE BOTTOM. I MEAN, MY BUSINESS WAS ONE ROOM, NO WINDOWS, NO PARTNERS, NO EMPLOYEES. SO I THINK I KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. AND BY THE WAY, NO SALARY. HOW WOULD YOU SPECIFICALLY TRY TO LOWER COSTS FOR CALIFORNIANS GENERALLY? WELL, LET ME SAY THIS COSTS ARE A BUNCH OF THINGS. THE FIRST AND BIGGEST IS HOUSING. SO LET ME START WITH HOUSING. AND I ALWAYS SAY THERE’S NO SILVER BULLET IN HOUSING. IT’S SILVER BUCKSHOT. SO WE NEED TO SHORTEN THE TIMES AND MAKE THE PERMITTING SIMPLER BECAUSE THE COST AND TIME OF PERMITTING IS EXTREMELY HIGH IN OUR STATE. WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR ZONING REQUIREMENTS SO THAT IN FACT, WE CAN BUILD THE HOUSES WHERE THEY’RE NEEDED AND WHERE THEY’RE WANTED. THIRD, WE NEED TO DO INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES. THERE IS TECHNOLOGY NOW TO BUILD OFF SITE. THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DRIVE DOWN THE COST PER SQUARE FOOT OF A HOUSE. STEYER SAYS HE WANTS TO CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOPHOLES TO FORCE BIG BUSINESSES TO PAY THE STATE’S GOVERNMENT MORE MONEY. HE ESTIMATES THE TAXES COULD HELP BRING IN $30 BILLION MORE A YEAR. HE WANTS TO USE THAT MONEY TO GIVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS A BOOST AND ELIMINATE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE. HE WANTS TO CREATE A UNIVERSAL STATE RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM KNOWN AS SINGLE PAYER. CALIFORNIA IS STRUGGLING TO IMPLEMENT JUST BASIC PROGRAMS, LIKE A 911 PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE. HOW CAN YOU, AS GOVERNOR, GUARANTEE THAT A SINGLE PAYER PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT IS EFFECTIVE? WELL, REALLY WHAT WE’RE CUTTING OUT IS PEOPLE MAKING MONEY OUT OF THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. AND YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IS SINGLE PAYER, GOD IS IN THE DETAILS IN EVERY ONE OF THESE ISSUES. IT’S GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO HAVE A GOVERNOR WHO GATHERS ALL OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE DETAILS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE CAN’T HAVE A STATE WHERE WE HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS. WE HAVE IDEAS, PEOPLE PASS AND NOTHING HAPPENS. STEYER IS ALSO KNOWN FOR HIS CLIMATE ACTIVISM. HE SAYS CALIFORNIA SHOULD STAY THE COURSE WITH ITS CLIMATE GOALS, SIGNIFICANTLY PHASING OUT THE USE OF OIL AND GAS BY 2045. IT’S MUCH CHEAPER TO BE CLEAN ON CLIMATE, CLIMATE GOALS. IT’S LIKE, WHICH IS CHEAPER TO RUN, YOU KNOW, RENEWABLE ENERGY OR FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY. RENEWABLE ENERGY IS MUCH, MUCH CHEAPER. WHY DON’T WE JUST DO THE CLEAN, CHEAP THING? BUT MANY CALIFORNIANS ARE MAY FEEL LEFT BEHIND IN THIS IN THIS MOVEMENT RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, STILL 90% OF REGISTERED CARS IN THE STATE ARE GAS POWERED. WE HAVE A LOSS OF REFINING CAPACITY IN THE STATE WHILE SUPPLY IS DWINDLING. ESSENTIALLY, THE DEMAND IS STILL THERE. I MEAN, HOW WILL YOU MANAGE THAT SITUATION, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THE WAR ON IRAN OR ANY OTHER GEOPOLITICAL PROBLEM THAT COULD HAPPEN SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED GOVERNOR? WE NEED TO HAVE MORE REFINING CAPACITY FOR THE REMAINING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, FOR SURE. BUT WOULDN’T THAT BE COUNTER TO SOME OF CALIFORNIA’S CLIMATE GOALS RIGHT NOW? IF WE ALLOW THE REFINING CAPACITY TO OPEN BACK UP, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN. BECAUSE, AS YOU SAID, THERE’S A BASE OF PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT AND PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, SCRAP THEIR CAR, WHICH IS A BIG CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR EVERY FAMILY. ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. HIS GOAL IS TO GET 1 MILLION HOMES BUILT IN FOUR YEARS. HE WOULD ALSO USE STATE MONEY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY, POTENTIALLY BILLIONS FROM CLOSING THESE CORPORATE LOOPHOLES. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO PROTECT THESE DOLLARS AND MAKE SURE THEY’RE EFFICIENT? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT’S A VERY FAIR QUESTION, ACTUALLY, I REALLY DO, BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE GOVERNOR AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY IN TAXES, YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTE RESPONSIBILITY TO STEWARD THAT MONEY CAREFULLY. AND SO I’LL START BY SAYING THIS. YOU CAN ASK MY WIFE, I AM THE CHEAPEST PERSON YOU’VE EVER MET. GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU’RE THE CHEAPEST PERSON. WELL, I HAVE ONE PAIR OF SNEAKERS. IT’S THESE. YES. NIKE AIR FORCE ONES. OKAY. WHAT ARE THREE WORDS YOU WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE CALIFORNIA UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP? PROSPEROUS. JUST. SHARED VALUES. WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT RIGHT NOW ON CAL POLITICS THREE 60.COM. YOU CAN WATCH MY FULL 30 MINUTE CONVERSATION WITH TOM STEYER RIGHT NOW. THE FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA’S 911 SYSTEM IN LIMBO. THE PUSH FOR MORE OVERSIGHT AFTER THE NEWSOM ADMINISTRATION CALLS TO SCRAP THE PLAN AND GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. CALIFORNIA’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THE HOT SEAT AT THE STATE CAPITOL THIS WEEK. GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM’S ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO SCRAP A NEW 911 SYSTEM THAT SO FAR HAS COST TAXPAYERS NEARLY HALF $1 BILLION. CAL OS NOW WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A DIFFERENT SYSTEM, BUT WON’T SAY HOW MUCH THAT COULD COST. EARLIER THIS WEEK, I SAT DOWN WITH STOCKTON ASSEMBLYWOMAN RHODESIA RANSOME. SHE’S THE LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY’S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. HERE’S PART OF OUR CONVERSATION. YOU HELD THIS REALLY LONG HEARING THIS WEEK. YES, WITH CARLOS, WITH THE 911 ADVISORY BOARD STAKEHOLDERS, WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL TAKEAWAY FROM THAT OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE STATE OF THE STATE’S ONLINE SYSTEM? WELL, MY TAKEAWAY IS THAT THERE’S A LOT OF FINGER POINTING HAPPENING AND THAT WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MORE OVERSIGHT IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY REALIZE AN EFFECTIVE 911 SYSTEM THAT THE STATE DESERVES. YOU ARE IN YOUR FIRST TERM AS A MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY. SO A LOT OF THIS PREDATES YOUR TIME. BUT DO YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THE LEGISLATURE WASN’T MORE INVOLVED IN KEEPING TABS ON THIS PROJECT? I HAVE NO IDEA. I’M LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE. THERE WERE A LOT OF RED FLAGS GOING BACK AT LEAST TO 2021. SO WHY IT TOOK SO LONG, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYTHING TO COME TO LIGHT IS REALLY BEYOND ME. WHAT IS I MEAN, WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW AS IT RELATES TO THE STATE’S 911 SYSTEM? MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS WE STILL DON’T KNOW THE PLAN. LIKE WE’VE SEEN THE TRANSITION PLAN, SO TO SPEAK. BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE HEARING, THE QUESTIONS WE HAD ABOUT BUDGET, WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET WILL BE. AND THAT’S BECAUSE WE REALLY DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE’RE MOVING FORWARD. IT SOUNDS AS IF, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL THAT A STATEWIDE APPROACH IS MORE APPROPRIATE. BUT DO YOU HAVE THE VENDORS WHO OF COURSE, HAVE THEIR OWN REASONS THAT THEY FEEL IT SHOULD STAY A REGIONAL APPROACH, BUT WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WILL BE. AND SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED MORE, MORE EYES ON THIS PROJECT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I REALLY WANT TO SEE MORE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED. CALIFORNIA HAS A HISTORY OF KIND OF HICCUPS IN THEIR TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES. AND SO IT’S LOST ON ME. DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT’S WRONG, BUT IT’S LOST ON ME. WHY? DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY IS MOSTLY INVOLVED IN THE CONTRACTS AND NOT IN OVERSEEING THE DELIVERY OF THIS PROJECT. CARLOS. YES, YOU MENTIONED THE BUDGET. I MEAN, FOR MONTHS NOW. I MEAN, SINCE AT LEAST NOVEMBER, THEY’VE BEEN WANTING TO SCRAP THE REGIONAL SYSTEM AND THE FOUR COMPANIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, THEY WANT TO DO A STATEWIDE SYSTEM WITH ONE COMPANY. BUT IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU THAT THEY’RE NOT SAYING HOW MUCH THAT WILL COST? NO, THAT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE. THAT’S ANOTHER REASON, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHY WE NEED MORE OVERSIGHT ON THIS PROJECT. I HEAR MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING, WE GOT TO STOP THIS. WE CAN’T MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT. AND I SAY WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD. BUT WITH OVERSIGHT, WE NEED WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PEOPLE IN THE ROOM THAT HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO TELL US HOW MUCH IT’S GOING TO COST AND HOW IT’S GOING TO WORK. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED, WE HAD ONLY DEPLOYED DEPLOYED 5%. I MEAN, ONLY 5%, 23. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT WASN’T A HUGE NUMBER BEFORE WE STARTED SEEING FAILURE. WE CAN’T WAIT UNTIL WE GET TO THE END OF THIS PROJECT, SO WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW THE END USERS CONNECT TO THE PROGRAM, AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO IMPLEMENT THESE THINGS, SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT. FROM THE HEARING, THERE WAS ONE MOMENT WHERE DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY MEMBER STEVE BENNETT ASKED STEVE YARBROUGH, OS, ARE WE SAFE? AND THERE WAS A LONG PAUSE AND THERE WAS NOT A DIRECT ANSWER. YES. DID THAT WORRY YOU? THAT DID WORRY ME, AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWER, THAT WE COULD BE SAFER IF WE GET THIS NEXT GENERATION 911 SYSTEM UP AND RUNNING. WE HAD AN OVERSIGHT HEARING IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT A FEW WEEKS AGO REGARDING ACTIVE SHOOTERS. THE SHERIFF FROM SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY REPORTED ON THE RECENT MASS SHOOTING THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH BEING ABLE TO LOCATE PEOPLE AND CELL PHONES AT THE LOCATION. SO WE KNOW THAT WE CAN BE SAFER IF WE GET THIS PROJECT UP AND RUNNING, ASSEMBLYWOMAN RANSOM ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE NEED FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THIS, THE CONCERNS SHE’S RAISING ABOUT THE PROJECT. VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHO THEY WANT AS THE STATE’S TOP COP AND LAWYER. A LOOK AT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CALIFORNIA’S ATTORNEY CALIFORNIA VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHO THEY WANT AS THE STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. SO BEFORE YOU VOTE, WE WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OVERSEES. EDIE LAMBERT BREAKS IT DOWN. CALIFORNIA VOTERS ARE ELECTING AN ATTORNEY GENERAL THIS YEAR. SO WHAT IS THE AG ACTUALLY DO? LET’S LOOK INTO IT. THIS JOB IS CONSIDERED THE STATE’S TOP COP. THEY LEAD THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AS THE STATE’S TOP LAWYER AND ALSO THE TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS CONSIDERED THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA IN BOTH CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES AT BOTH THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEVEL. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ALSO PROVIDES LEGAL ADVICE THROUGHOUT STATE GOVERNMENT FOR STATE OFFICES, BOARDS, DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICERS. THEY LEND SUPPORT TO LOCAL AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND THEY OVERSEE THE ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ENFORCEMENT IS FAIR. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS A LIMIT OF TWO FOUR YEAR TERMS IN OFFICE, AND PEOPLE OFTEN WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THIS JOB PAYS. WELL, LAST YEAR, THE JOB PAID $213,000 BACK TO YOU, EDIE. THANK YOU. CALIFORNIA POLITICS 360 CONTINUES ONLINE. YOU CAN WATCH THIS WEEK’S FULL INTERVIEWS RIGHT NOW ON CAL POLITICS. 360.COM. AND WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. WHAT ISSUES DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD COVER ON THIS PROGRAM? SEND US AN EMAIL AT CONTACT AT CAL POLITICS THREE 6.COM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS WEEK’S CALIFORNIA POLITICS. 360. SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY.

California Politics 360 Full Episode | Sexual abuse allegations against César Chávez

Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta broke her silence, saying she was also sexually abused by Chávez. It led to the birth of two children, a secret she kept for 60 years.

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Updated: 8:25 PM PDT Mar 22, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Sexual abuse allegations surfaced this week against labor rights activist César Chávez. The New York Times revealed in a multi-year investigation that Chávez is accused of sexually abusing two underage girls in the 1970s. Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta broke her silence, saying she was also sexually abused by Chávez. It led to the birth of two children, a secret she kept for 60 years. There’s a push to quickly rename César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day. We reached out to Democrats & Republicans who represent Latinos and Hispanics at our State Capitol. Democratic Latino leaders did not respond to our request. Ashley Zavala sat down with Republican Assembly Member Alexandra Macedo. This year, California voters will decide who they want to be their next governor. Every week leading to the June primary, we will hear from one of the top 10 candidates running for the state’s highest position. This week, Ashley Zavala sat down with Democrat Tom Steyer to get his thoughts on the major issues impacting Californians. California’s Office of Emergency Services is trying to scrap a new 911 system that so far has cost taxpayers almost half a billion dollars. Cal OES wants to move to a new, different system, but won’t say how much it costs. Ashley Zavala sat down with Democratic Assembly Member Rhodesia Ransom. We take a closer look at the responsibilities for California’s attorney general ahead of the June primary.KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.

Sexual abuse allegations surfaced this week against labor rights activist César Chávez.

The New York Times revealed in a multi-year investigation that Chávez is accused of sexually abusing two underage girls in the 1970s. Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta broke her silence, saying she was also sexually abused by Chávez. It led to the birth of two children, a secret she kept for 60 years.

There’s a push to quickly rename César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day. We reached out to Democrats & Republicans who represent Latinos and Hispanics at our State Capitol. Democratic Latino leaders did not respond to our request. Ashley Zavala sat down with Republican Assembly Member Alexandra Macedo.

This year, California voters will decide who they want to be their next governor. Every week leading to the June primary, we will hear from one of the top 10 candidates running for the state’s highest position. This week, Ashley Zavala sat down with Democrat Tom Steyer to get his thoughts on the major issues impacting Californians.

California’s Office of Emergency Services is trying to scrap a new 911 system that so far has cost taxpayers almost half a billion dollars. Cal OES wants to move to a new, different system, but won’t say how much it costs. Ashley Zavala sat down with Democratic Assembly Member Rhodesia Ransom.

We take a closer look at the responsibilities for California’s attorney general ahead of the June primary.

KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.