(The Center Square) – California and Arizona Tuesday joined 22 other states and the District of Columbia to sue the Trump administration to stop cuts in AmeriCorps’ grants and workforce.

The lawsuit objects to the federal government reducing 85% of the workforce for the agency, which promotes national service and volunteer work addressing disaster recovery and other community needs. 

According to americorps.gov, the agency enrolls more than 200,000 people each year in community service organizations. AmeriCorps also provides more than $4.8 billion in education awards.

Besides California and Arizona, states filing the suit are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. 

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February directing every federal agency to reduce its staff. Since then, AmeriCorps has placed at least 85% of its workforce on administrative leave immediately and told employees they would be dismissed effective June 24, according to a news release from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

The states’ lawsuit contends the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce AmeriCorps and its grants violate the Administrative Procedures Act and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution.

California is co-leading the lawsuit against the Trump administration.

“In California, AmeriCorps volunteers build affordable housing, clean up our environment, and address food insecurity in communities across our state,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release. “California has repeatedly taken action to hold the Trump Administration and DOGE accountable to the law — and we stand prepared to do it again to protect AmeriCorps and the vital services it provides.”

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said the cuts in AmeriCorps affect grants such as:

• $700,000 for Northern Arizona University, Arizona Teacher’s Residency, designed to address teacher shortages.
• $308,000 for Area Agency on Aging, Caring Circles, which helps older Arizonans with needs such as transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping and help with technology.
• $495,000 for Vista College Prepartory’s tutoring and teacher support for math and reading for low-income students.

“AmeriCorps represents the best of our nation – providing opportunities for millions of Americans to serve their neighbors and communities and make our country a better place to live,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said. “By unilaterally gutting this Congressionally authorized agency, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have yet again violated the law and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. Their illegal actions will harm Arizona communities.”

Mayes noted studies show AmeriCorps programs generate more than $34 per every dollar spent in terms of their impact on communities.

“Slashing these programs serves no purpose and is incredibly short-sighted from those claiming to champion efficiency,” she said.

(The Center Square) – Dozens of groups are urging Congress to overturn the Biden administration’s approval of California’s gas car ban, under which new gas-powered cars must be 100% zero-emission by 2035 and 35% for the model year 2026 vehicles already starting to arrive at dealers.

The rules apply not only to California, but Washington, D.C. and the 11 other states that have signed on to adopt California’s gas-car-banning emissions standards, making up 40% of the U.S. market.

“Mandating EVs amounts to very bad policy that would lead to higher automobile sticker prices, less economic activity, and virtually no consumer choice,” wrote the 26-group conservative coalition in its letter supporting House Joint Resolution 88, facing a key vote this week. “Thankfully, H.J. Res 88 repeals this waiver, providing greater regulatory certainty and giving Americans the freedom to choose the type of vehicle they want – rather than follow California’s failed policies that have made gas prices among the highest in the nation.”

The letter’s 26 signatories include the California Policy Center, a center-right think tank, and Citizens for Prosperity, a libertarian advocacy group.

ZEV market share in California declined from 22% in 2024 to 20.8% in the first quarter of 2025, leading Toyota to say the state’s ZEV targets are “impossible” to meet. To hit 35%, ZEV market share would need to increase 68% practically overnight.

Carmakers earn credits for selling qualifying battery-electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles. Those who don’t have enough credits to keep selling standard hybrid or internal combustion vehicles can purchase credits from those with excess credits, such as Tesla.

But if there aren’t enough credits to go around, carmakers could face fines of $20,000 per non-ZEV vehicle sold for each credit they are short, which has led dealers to warn they may be forced to only offer pricier plug-in-hybrid and all-electric models.

“If CARB doesn’t pause or adjust the ACCII mandate, we are concerned automakers will restrict shipments of traditional hybrids and affordable gas-powered models to avoid massive fines,” said CNCDA President Brian Maas in an earlier statement to The Center Square. “This is occurring in California’s heavy-duty truck marketplace, which has been devastated by similar CARB rules that took effect in January 2024.”  

The Advanced Clean Cars II mandate applies to Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington for model year 2026, and Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. for model year 2027. 

California’s air regulations — created to combat the state’s notorious smog — predate the EPA, which must grant a waiver for each regulation in excess of EPA standards. The Biden administration’s EPA approved ACC II in December 2024, but the Congressional Review Act allows Congress to overturn executive regulatory decisions within 60 legislative days. 

The House Rules Committee approved consideration of H.J. Res 88 and an exclusion of the next few months from counting toward the 60-day clock at an April 28 hearing, paving the way for the measure to advance through the House and to the Senate. 

With the Senate parliamentarian having blocked a similar measure from originating in the Senate, the House resolution is the last option short of a court decision or revision in the California legislature that could reverse the rule. 

The resolution now heads to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where it will soon be scheduled for a vote.

(The Center Square) — After over 50 years, an open desegregation case against Plaquemines Parish School Board filed by the U.S. Department of Justice was dismissed by efforts from Attorney General Liz Murrill and other representatives.

“After half a century of silence, the United States Department of Justice has dismissed the school desegregation case it filed against the Plaquemines Parish School Board back in 1966,” said Attorney General Liz Murrill. “Members of my solicitor general team recently met with representatives from the DOJ to express my and Governor Landry’s interest in starting to close out all of their remaining desegregation cases in Louisiana.”

The first-term GOP attorney general said the decision shows the recognition of the Plaquemines Parish School Board “operating “one system of schools” with no “effects of past discrimination” — and it has done so voluntarily without the need for court intervention.”

A vote was called April 17 by the school board to request assistance from the state Attorney General’s Office. The case dismissal was deemed historic by Board President Niko Tesvich and Superintendent Dr. Shelley Ritz Board. According to the news release, the dismissal was done voluntarily by the DOJ. 

Gov. Jeff Landry thanked the President and many others in his statement.

“Thank you, President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, and their great team at USDOJ for ending this decades-long legal battle,” said Landry. 

According to Landry, federal judges have set and imposed unnecessary requirements, costing schools and children millions of dollars. He is working to close other desegregation cases throughout the state as well. 

The decision is an important step forward to Murrill when it comes to school boards across the state. She intends to work with other schools in similar cases to “put them in the past.”

“Louisiana got its act together decades ago, and it is past time to acknowledge how far we have come. America is back, and this Department of Justice is making sure the Civil Rights Division is correcting wrongs from the past and working for all Americans,” said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Civil Rights Division for the United States Department of Justice.

Emilee Ruth Calametti serves as staff reporter for The Center Square covering the Northwestern Louisiana region. She holds her M.A. in English from Georgia State University and soon, an additional M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Emilee has bylines in DIG Magazine, Houstonia Magazine, Bookstr, inRegister, The Click News, and the Virginia Woolf Miscellany. She is a Louisiana native with over seven years of journalism experience.