Small Farms Could Feel Pinch From Reconciliation Bill

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, July 10, 2025…

• California’s small farmers are used to tough seasons. But this year, they’re not just battling drought or the rising costs of maintaining their farms. Small farmers say President Trump’s reconciliation bill could make it even harder to stay in business.
• More dads in California are taking paid leave to care for a new child. 
• Transgender rights advocates are pushing back against a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, contesting a California law that protects trans athletes.

California’s Small Farmers Concerned About New Budget Bill 

Last week, President Trump signed a massive spending and tax bill that will implement much of his domestic policy agenda. The legislative package will have a widespread impact in California. That includes small farmers across the state.

Blossom Bluff Orchards sits just outside of Fresno. It’s a family-run farm that’s been around since the 1930s. Bryce Loewen’s great-grandparents started the farm. Now he and his sister have taken over day-to-day operations. They sell organic fruit directly to farmers markets, restaurants and small grocers. Loewen said that direct connection with customers is what keeps them going, especially during the hard times. “When people come up and tell you that, ‘I had your peaches last week and it changed my life,’ it’s  extremely gratifying. Having that feedback really helps when you’re struggling to decide – is all of this worth the effort,” he said.

Running a small farm in California means juggling a lot: drought, labor shortages and unpredictable weather. Now, Loewen and small farmers like him are worried President Trump’s reconciliation bill could weaken the support systems they rely on to reach local customers. The bill will cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It also lifts income caps on who qualifies for federal farm aid.  Advocates say those changes will divert resources away from small-scale farmers, who make up 75% of the state’s farms.

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard is with the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. She said cutting programs like SNAP won’t  just affect low-income families. “If those are removed,  or pushed back on the states, that’s going to affect the markets that farmers can sell to locally, and also the affordability of food for a lot of people,” she said.

This all comes at a time when federal immigration sweeps have hit some farms in the state, leaving both employers and employees on edge.

More Dads In California Are Taking Family Leave

More and more dads in California are taking advantage of the state’s paid family leave program.

Claims from men to bond with their child have gone up 384% since the program started two decades ago compared to a 33% increase from women, according to a report published by the group Paid Leave for All. “Claims are going up from everybody, but what’s really driving that overall increase is this gigantic increase in claims from men,” said Molly Weston Williamson, who authored the report.

Men now make up 44% of claims for paid family leave, compared to only 18% in 2005. “I think that really shows some changes in the way men and women are relating to the program,” Williamson said. “What we know is that when dads are able to take paid leave everybody benefits.”

Research has shown that paternity leave benefits a mother’s physical and mental health postpartum, and can even reduce infant mortality rates.

Feds Sue California Over Its Refusal to Ban Transgender Athletes From Girls’ Sports

The Trump administration sued California on Wednesday over its policy permitting transgender high school athletes to participate on teams that match their gender identity.

The suit comes just days after the California Interscholastic Federation and the state’s Department of Education declined to sign a resolution agreeing to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s push to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports.

The lawsuit alleges that by allowing transgender athletes to participate on girls’ sports teams, California is discriminating against women and girls, ignoring “undeniable biological differences.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the state’s policies violate Title IX, the landmark civil rights law that protects against discrimination based on sex in schools that receive federal funding.

In a statement, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the CIF and the state Education Department are following existing state law, which he said is in line with 21 other states’ laws and doesn’t violate Title IX. “No court has adopted the interpretation of Title IX advanced by the federal government and neither the governor, nor they, get to wave a magic wand and override it,” Newsom’s office said via email. “Unlike Donald Trump, California follows the law.”