Cesar Chavez Day Repeal Heads to Katie Hobbs' Desk

On what would have been Cesar Chavez Day, the Arizona Legislature sent a bill to Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) that would wipe the labor leader’s name from the state calendar entirely, a remarkably swift political reversal driven by allegations of sexual abuse against women and young girls.

The House passed HB 2072 on Monday, days after the Senate cleared it with bipartisan support. Governor Hobbs is expected to sign it.

The legislation follows a New York Times investigation revealing years of sexual misconduct by Chavez against women and girls within the labor rights organization he helped build.

The findings triggered a wave of erasures across the country, with elected officials removing his name from buildings, parks, and street signs.

In Phoenix, the city council voted last week to strip his name from all city property and replace the annual March 31 celebration with "Farmworkers Day."

Arizona enshrined that same date into state law more than two decades ago as Dr. Cesar Estrada Chavez Day, honoring the farmworker advocate who was born in Yuma and died in San Luis in 1993.

House Advocates

House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-AZ) said the decision was straightforward. "Arizona law should not honor a man tied to sexual abuse against children and violence against women," he said. "Victims deserve better, the truth cannot be ignored, and state honors carry meaning."

Additionally, Representative Lisa Fink (R-AZ), who sponsored the bill, framed it as an obligation to those harmed. "The women and children Chavez harmed should not have to watch the state continue honoring his name," she said.

A spokesperson for Governor Hobbs confirmed that she plans to sign the bill and is also exploring ways to better recognize farmworkers.

That point resonated with Democrats in both chambers, who supported the repeal but expressed frustration that no replacement celebration honoring the broader farmworker movement was included in the legislation.

The bipartisan vote marked the final step in a push that went from introduction to the governor's desk in just over a week.