MN Senate Unanimously Repeals Cesar Chavez Day After Abuse Allegations

ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Senate voted unanimously Thursday to repeal the state’s Cesar Chavez Day holiday following a report alleging the late labor leader abused both adults and minors.

The bill unanimously passed the House on Monday, and Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign it.

The bill, led by Sen. Sandy Pappas, passed 67-0 and would eliminate the March 31 holiday from the state calendar.

The move comes after a recent investigation by The New York Times reported allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually assaulted multiple children and an adult colleague, including United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta.

Pappas, who originally authored the legislation creating the holiday, said the new information changed how lawmakers view honoring Chavez.

"The Legislature created the Cesar Chavez holiday to celebrate Minnesota’s Latino and Latina communities," Pappas said in a statement.

"With the knowledge we now have, thanks to the New York Times’ investigation, it is no longer right to uplift this individual as we celebrate our Latino/a neighbors and the workers who fought for their rights during the Farmworkers’ Movement."

Republican lawmakers also supported the repeal. State Sen. Michael Holmstrom, R-Buffalo, said the change is overdue, according to the Star Tribune.

"For far too long, this state has honored a man whose Marxist ideology and conduct were deeply troubling," Holmstrom told the newspaper.

The vote comes as broader efforts gain traction to remove Chavez’s name from public places in St. Paul.

Mayor Kaohly Her said she is speaking with community members about potentially renaming Cesar Chavez Street on the city’s West Side.

"This is our residents’ decision, and so we want to pull a larger stakeholder group together," Her said. "What do we name it afterwards? It’s not just about removing that name now."

Ramona Arreguín de Rosales, co-founder of Academia Cesar Chavez in St. Paul, has recommended the charter school remove Chavez’s name immediately.