by Legislators returning to the Capitol on Monday must meet a stringent deadline and yet win over voters in order to carry out California Democrats’ partisan push to create new congressional districts and overhaul the state’s representation in the U.S. House.
Before the session concludes in September, the Legislature will vote on hundreds of ideas, including expanding racial justice initiatives and restricting federal immigration raids.
Here is a preview of what lawmakers can expect during their final month in office:
At the request of Governor Gavin Newsom, lawmakers are anticipated to work on the new congressional map during the first week back after summer vacation. In response to President Donald Trump’s attempts to redraw the Texas map in order to assist Republicans in maintaining control of the U.S. House, the new design seeks to give Democrats five more seats in the U.S. House in the 2026 midterm elections.
California is the only state outside of Texas that has formally entered the redistricting battle thus far, while other states have hinted that they may do so as well.
The revised map was released Friday by California Democrats, who have supermajorities in both chambers. In November, state legislators from both houses will debate the map and decide whether to put it to a vote in a special election.
The new map, which was created by an independent commission and went into force in 2022, would take its place if voters approve it. The new map would stay in place until the 2030 elections, but only if Texas or another Republican-led state proceeds with its own mid-decade redistricting.
Following the next census, Democrats promised to give the commission back its authority to create maps. They claimed that the current endeavor aims to oppose Trump’s goals and preserve democracy.
Republicans in the state pledged to legally oppose the initiative, claiming that voters had previously decided in 2010 to eliminate party involvement in mapmaking.
Legislators in the state are struggling to strike a compromise between reducing power and gas costs and achieving the state’s climate goals. According to air regulators, the proposed shutdown of two oil refineries that make up over 18% of the state’s refining capacity have influenced those conversations.
When the Legislature considers whether to renew the state scap-and-trade program, which is scheduled to expire in 2030, it will need to address those issues. Large greenhouse gas polluters can purchase credits from the state equal to their anticipated emissions under the program. In an effort to encourage businesses to reduce their pollution, fewer allowances are granted over time.
A significant amount of the program’s income is allocated to a fund that supports affordable housing, transportation, and climate projects. Additionally, the program provides funding for a credit that Californians receive on their utility bills twice a year.
In addition to committing $1 billion yearly from the fund for the state’s long-delayed high-speed rail project, Newsom wants lawmakers to extend the program through 2045 and allocate $1.5 billion annually for state fire response.
The state should update the program, according to many environmental groups, by eliminating free allowances for industrial emitters, making sure low-income households receive a larger credit on their utility bills, and ending or bolstering an offset program that assists businesses in complying by funding projects that reduce emissions that cause global warming.
In reaction to the intensification of federal immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles and throughout the state, lawmakers will vote on a number of proposals. This covers laws that would criminalize covering one’s face while on official business for law enforcement officials at the municipal, state, and federal levels.
Officers wearing medical-grade masks, coverings intended to shield them from smoke exposure during a wildfire, and other protective gear utilized by SWAT officers in the course of their work are exempt from the plan. In addition to stopping people from attempting to mimic government officials, supporters claimed the proposal would increase transparency and public trust in law enforcement.
Law enforcement and other opponents claimed that because California lacks jurisdiction over federal agents, the bill would interfere with local undercover operations without resolving the problem.
Another proposal would require law enforcement to identify themselves during official business.
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Additionally, state Democrats are supporting a number of bills that would prevent undocumented immigration officials from visiting hospitals, schools, and shelters for the destitute and victims of domestic abuse.
In 2023, a state task group that was the first of its kind in the country issued a report that included over 100 suggestions for the state to address historical injustices against Black Californians who were descended from slaves.
Inspired by their work, the California Legislative Black Caucus last year offered a reparations package; however, the most ambitious plans were denied and the measures did not involve direct payments for descendants.
This year, the caucus unveiled a new package designed to provide Black Californians with redress.
One of the legislation would allow colleges to prioritize enslaved people’s descendants for admittance. Another would guarantee that descendants receive 10% of the money from a state program that lends to first-time homebuyers. Third, the state would be able to allocate $6 million to support California State University’s study on verifying residents’ eligibility for any reparations programs.
The plans, according to some reparations proponents, are inadequate. Direct compensation to descendants of slavery is one of the task force’s main recommendations, and they claim that many of the measures are means to postpone putting it into effect.
