Shortly after noon, California’s state Senate approved a bill setting specific boundaries for proposed new congressional maps for the next three elections.
The vote, approving AB 604 along party lines, kicked off the votes legislators are taking Thursday, Aug. 21, on a redistricting package that could lead to new, partisan congressional maps that would make it easier for Democrats to pick up an additional five House seats in next year’s midterm elections.
Take together, the bills, in essence, would allow a measure to be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot, asking voters to approve the partisan congressional maps, which Democrats say are intended to counter similar gerrymandering efforts that Texas and other red states are considering — at the urging of President Donald Trump — to ensure that Republicans retain control of the House.
Despite attempts from Republicans to stymie the redistricting effort, the Democratic-majority legislature is widely expected to approve the package today.
The proposed partisan maps for California, if ultimately approved by voters, would only be in effect for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. After the 2030 Census count, California would return to having a nonpartisan, independent redistricting commission draw future congressional lines.
Prior to Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats had repeatedly said that California’s gerrymandered maps would only take effect if other states conduct their own mid-decade redistricting.
But on Thursday morning, one of the bills, ACA 8, was amended, with language that had stated California’s maps would be implemented “only if Texas, Florida, or another state adopts a new congressional district map” removed.
The offices of Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas did not immediately respond to an email seeking an explanation for the amendment.
Texas Republicans, meanwhile, gave initial approval to their redistricting plan on Wednesday.
California Democrats have repeatedly said their redistricting effort isn’t something they wish to do but that they feel compelled to “fight fire with fire” and push back against a “power grab” attempt by Trump and other Republicans.
“There is currently no check on Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., only people who do whatever he demands that they do. But not here, not in California. California is responding to this emergency … with an unwavering will to act,” Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, said during floor debates.
Republicans, meanwhile, continued to cry foul.
Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, said Thursday that under the proposed gerrymandered maps, L.A. County, which has more registered Democratic voters than Republicans, would gain an additional congressional district despite a population decline since the last Census count.
On the other hand, he said, the more conservative Inland Empire, which has seen its population grow in the past five years, would lose a congressional seat.
The Orange County lawmaker, who also condemned Texas’s gerrymandering effort, urged lawmakers to support legislation introduced by Rep. Kevin Kiley, of Northern California, to ban mid-decade redistricting in every state, saying that would be more constructive than California Democrats’ current efforts.
“I do believe it’s wrong for every other state where the politicians pick their citizens, it is wrong — both on the Democrat and Republican side,” Strickland said. “We should be promoting what we do here in California, not throwing it away,” he added, referring to the state’s current independent redistricting model.
Debates concerning the bills were still taking place as of noon Thursday.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back regularly for updates.