Ag Policy Blog

OMAHA (DTN) -- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins continues to show she is willing to use USDA funding as leverage in President Trump's culture wars against Democratic governors.

USDA on Thursday announced the department will join the Department of Education in investigating whether a California law over gender identification violates federal law and Trump's executive orders against transgender policies.

Earlier in March, Rollins announced USDA was joining the Department of Education to push back against transgender policies in Maine, threatening to suspend funding to Maine's universities. USDA issued a news release March 19 citing that Maine's university system "chooses sanity" by declaring its compliance under Title IX, a law that protects women from discrimination in sports.

Rollins on Thursday stated on social platform X that the Trump administration is now targeting California and a law signed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law, Assembly Bill 1955, spells out LGBTQ rights in schools. The law prevents schools from requiring teachers or others from releasing information related to a student's sexual orientation or gender identity. Conservative groups state the law violates parents' notification rights.

In her post, Rollins said, "President Trump and our team will not stand idly by while @CAgovernor continues to implement woke ideology & violate parental rights. On November 5th, the American people spoke -- we will continue to execute on their mandate and @POTUS

promise to return America to her people!"

Rollins posted a letter to Newsom citing that USDA is reviewing its research and other education related funding in California "for compliance with the Constitution, federal laws including Titles VI and IX, and the priorities of the Trump Administration."

It's unclear how much funding could be involved if USDA chose to withhold funds from California. USDA provides funding for school lunches, but also provides grant funding to universities across the state as well. Then there is USDA funding that would go towards programs at the California Department of Food and Agriculture as well.

USDA and other departments tied to state education, research and other programs to ensure compliance, Rollins stated, "and to correct and remediate any violations."

Rollins said USDA would support the Department of Education's (ED) investigation into California over alleged violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The Trump administration alleges California is violating FERPA because of a law passed last year that prohibits school officials from disclosing record's about a child's gender identity to that child's parents.

"USDA will support ED's investigation and efforts to vigorously protect parents' rights and ensure that students do no fall victim to radical transgender ideology that often leads to family alienation and irreversible medical interventions," Rollins' letter stated.

The letter added USDA would be reviewing federal funding to California "with respect to other related matters under investigation."

Newsom's office pushed back against the Department of Education's take on the law, but did not mention USDA's involvement.

"Parents continue to have full, guaranteed access to their student's education records, as required by federal law," Elana Ross, a spokesperson for the governor's office, said in a statement to CBS News Los Angeles. "If the U.S. Department of Education still had staff, this would be a quick investigation -- all they would need to do is read the law the Governor signed."

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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