Senator Padilla introduced a bill to stop mid-decade redistricting in a bid for bipartisan reform.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — This week in California politics, the effort to stop mid-decade redistricting received a boost from democratic Congressional leadership, as the state is gearing up to hold a special election that is projected to cost over $280 million. Western states have unveiled their own vaccine recommendations, contrasting announced CDC changes, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed an extension for a long-running climate program.
Redistricting battle
While Californians are a couple of months away from deciding if they want to redraw the state’s Congressional maps, there’s been a push from California Congressional leaders to stop mid-decade redistricting.
Yesterday, Senator Alex Padilla introduced the Redistricting Reform Act of 2025. That would ban mid-decade redistricting and would require each state to establish an independent redistricting commission.
Padilla’s proposal is similar to one introduced by Republican representative Kevin Kiley to stop the same practice of mid-decade redistricting.
“It’s so bad for democracy; it’s so bad for representative democracy; it’s so bad for the institution of the House,” Kiley said. Kiley indicated he would be open to supporting Padilla’s bill, and he’s open to working with the senator.
“Coming up with a solution to end gerrymandering has to be bipartisan because both parties have been guilty of it,” he said.
The proposals come as California and other states are working to redraw their district lines before the 2026 midterm elections.
Newsom weighed in on both Padilla’s and Kiley’s efforts at a climate affordability bill signing event, indicating support for a bipartisan effort to address gerrymandering, but in the meantime, will continue to fight fire with fire.
“Californians have that ability and authority – formal and moral – to push back against (the Trump) administration,” Newsom said.
West Coast Health Alliance
Four Democratic-led Western states announced joint recommendations Wednesday about who should be vaccinated for seasonal respiratory viruses, including the flu and COVID-19, saying the Trump administration has jeopardized public health by politicizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii early this month formed the West Coast Health Alliance in an effort to combat what they describe as the “weaponization” of federal health agencies to advance antivaccine policies, despite decades of scientific research showing that vaccines are safe and effective.
Their recommendations follow those of major medical organizations and came a day before a panel of CDC advisers were due to begin meeting to review recommendations for some vaccines, including COVID.
In a written statement Wednesday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon criticized the effort.
“Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people’s trust in public health agencies,” Nixon said. “HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic.”
According to ABC, on Friday, the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel voted to abandon its recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine, opting to recommend Americans get the vaccine “based on individual-based decision making.”
Newsom signs climate affordability bills
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday extended a signature state program aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions through 2045, a move Democrats cheered but Republicans warned would raise gas prices.
The program known as cap and trade sets a declining limit on total greenhouse gas emissions in the state from major polluters. Companies must reduce their emissions, buy allowances from the state or other businesses, or fund projects aimed at offsetting their pollution. Money the state receives from the sales fund climate-change mitigation, affordable housing and transportation projects, as well as utility bill credits for Californians.
It was set to expire after 2030. The law Newsom signed Friday at the Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco potentially boosts carbon-removal projects and requires the program to align with California’s target of achieving so-called carbon neutrality by 2045. That means the state will remove as many carbon emissions as it releases. The law changes the name to “cap and invest” to emphasize that the money goes toward other programs.
Read More: California Gov. Gavin Newsom extends cap-and-trade program aimed at curbing carbon emissions
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