Skip to main content

Will California's Newly Drawn Senate Maps Stand?

Support Provided By
The California State Senate chambers
The California State Senate chambers

Last week the California Supreme Court rejected a request by a GOP-supported coalition (known as FAIR, or Fairness & Accountability in Redistricting) to invalidate California's newly drawn state senate maps. Apparently undeterred by a denial of their petition for hearing to the state's highest court, the coalition is now asking the U.S. Department of Justice to invalidate the maps, particularly districts in Monterey and Merced. The group contends that the maps violate the Voting Rights Act by impermissibly diluting the voting power of Latinos. A cynic would say that the real reason behind the group's suits is that they realize that the new lines will likely lead to fewer republicans in the State Senate.

But wait, there's more. The group is also circulating a petition to place a referendum on the ballot which, if successful, would overturn the maps. Proponents of the referendum have to gather about 504,000 signatures by November 13 in order to get the referendum on next year's ballot. George Joseph, Mercury Insurance Chairman, recently gave the California Republican Party $1 million, and the party then gave at least $900,000 to support the referendum.

To understand the current battles, a bit of background is helpful. In 2008 and 2010 California voters approved initiatives which took the power of drawing state and federal legislative lines away from sitting legislators. Instead of allowing legislators to draw their own lines, the people of California opted to allow a 14-member independent redistricting commission to draw the lines. Many thought Republicans would benefit from the commission, not the democratically-controlled legislature, drawing the lines. However, the lines, drawn based on the most recent census data look likely to benefit Democrats, at least in the State Senate.

Again, a cynic would say this is much ado about nothing but sour grapes. Republicans are rightly worried that they could lose their one-third minority membership in the State Senate. If Democrats are able to garner two-thirds of the upper legislative house, it could make it much easier to implement a number of policies, including tax and fee increases.

Jessica Levinson writes about the intersection of law and government every Monday. She is a Visiting Professor at Loyola Law School.

The photo used on this post is by Flickr user Mathieu Thouvenin. It was used under a Creative Commons License.

Support Provided By
Read More
Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.
A Black woman with long, black brains wears a black Chicago Bulls windbreaker jacket with red and white stripes as she stands at the top of a short staircase in a housing complex and rests her left hand on the metal railing. She smiles slightly while looking directly at the camera.

Los Angeles County Is Testing AI's Ability To Prevent Homelessness

In order to prevent people from becoming homeless before it happens, Los Angeles County officials are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict who in the county is most likely to lose their housing. They would then step in to help those people with their rent, utility bills, car payments and more so they don't become unhoused.