Inside California Politics: March 22, 2025
Political reporter Eytan Wallace goes in-depth on the state's Medi-Cal funding issues and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara plans to ease the California insurance crisis.
Political strategists Ed Emerson and Tim Rosales analyze the California GOP's plans to target certain seats in 2026 and former Rep. Katie Porter's decision to join the California governor's race.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
25 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Both parties expect a GOP map in Texas to clear a big hurdle in a national fight over redistricting
AUSTIN, Texas — Both parties expected Republicans to win an early round Wednesday in a growing national redistricting battle by pushing a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats past its biggest obstacle in the Texas Legislature. The Republican-controlled Texas House planned to vote on a redistricting plan that resulted from prodding by President Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business. Some Democrats returned Monday, only to be assigned round-the-clock police escorts to ensure their attendance at Wednesday's session. Seven who refused were confined to the House floor, where they protested on a livestream Tuesday night, led by Rep. Nicole Collier, who represents a minority-majority district in Fort Worth. Her staff removed a pillow, blanket and bag of personal effects early Wednesday. As lawmakers trickled into the chamber, several Democrats gave Collier a hug, said 'Thank you,' and took photos with her. In a social media post Tuesday night, Collier put a call from 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on her cellphone's speaker. Harris told Collier that, 'We are all in that room with you.' 'We are making a difference,' she said after the call. 'People are watching and they are ready to hold this government accountable.' House approval of the map would send it to the Senate for a vote as early as Thursday. Passage there also is expected, and not enough Democrats walked out previously to prevent the chamber from working. Democrats said they're preparing to challenge the new map in court. Furious national Democrats have vowed payback for the Texas map, with California's legislature poised to approve new maps adding more Democratic-friendly seats later this week. The map would still need to be approved by that state's voters in November. Normally, states redraw maps once a decade with new census figures. But Trump is lobbying other conservative-controlled states like Indiana and Missouri to also try to squeeze new GOP-friendly seats out of their maps as his party prepares for a difficult midterm election next year. As House session was about to begin, about two dozen demonstrators supporting Democrats sang 'Fighting for Democracy, we shall not be moved' outside the chamber. GOP House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that the public gallery will be cleared if there are disruptions. The public gallery was mostly empty as the session was gaveled in. But the 100 members required to do business were present. About 200 people have gathered in the Capitol's rotunda for a rally supporting Democrats, holding signs saying 'End Gerrymandering — Save Democracy,' 'Defend the Constitution' and 'Fascism is here.' Texas Democrats spent the day before the vote continuing to draw attention to the extraordinary lengths the Republicans who run the legislature were going to ensure it takes place. Collier started it when she refused to sign what Democrats called the 'permission slip' required by Burrows to leave the House chamber, a half-page form allowing Department of Public Safety troopers to follow them. Collier spent Monday night and Tuesday on the House floor, where she set up a livestream while her Democratic colleagues outside had plainclothes officers following them to their offices and homes. Dallas-area Rep. Linda Garcia said she drove three hours home from Austin with an officer following her. When she went grocery shopping, he went down every aisle with her, pretending to shop, she said. As she spoke to The Associated Press by phone, two unmarked cars with officers inside were parked outside her home. 'It's a weird feeling,' she said. 'The only way to explain the entire process is: It's like I'm in a movie.' Dallas-area Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez joined the protest inside the House chamber and called it a 'slumber party for democracy,' and she said Democrats were holding strategy sessions on the floor. 'We are not criminals,' Houston Rep. Penny Morales Shaw said before joining Collier, too. Collier said having officers shadow her was an attack on her dignity and an attempt to control her movements. Burrows brushed off Collier's protest, saying he was focused on important issues, such as providing property tax relief and responding to last month's deadly floods. His statement Tuesday morning did not mention redistricting, and his office did not immediately respond to other Democrats joining Collier. 'Rep. Collier's choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the House Rules,' Burrows said. Under those rules, until Wednesday's vote, the chamber's doors were locked, and no member could leave 'without the written permission of the speaker.' Republicans issued civil arrest warrants to bring the Democrats back after they left the state Aug. 3, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott asked the state Supreme Court to oust Wu and several other Democrats from office. The lawmakers also face a fine of $500 for every day they were absent. Democrats outside the Capitol reported different levels of monitoring and some said the officers watching them were friendly. But Austin Rep. Sheryl Cole said in a social media post that when she went on her morning walk Tuesday, the officer following her lost her on the trail, got angry and threatened to arrest her. Garcia said the officer who tailed her home also came in the grocery store when she went shopping with her 9-year-old son. 'I would imagine that this is the way it feels when you're potentially shoplifting and someone is assessing whether you're going to steal,' she said. Vertuno and Riccardi write for the Associated Press. Riccardi reported from Denver. John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.
Epoch Times
27 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
California Republicans File Suit to Bar Democrats' Redistricting Plan
US Citing the state constitution, the plaintiffs asked the California Supreme Court to act by Aug. 20 to either rule on the case or bar any action for 30 days. California Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit on Aug. 18 to block a Democrat-backed redistricting plan. Championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the plan aims to shift five U.S. congressional seats in California from Republicans to Democrats.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Newsom account knocks Dana Perino over criticism of posts: ‘They still don't get it'
A social media account run by the press office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) knocked Fox News anchor Dana Perino after she criticized the Democrat's press strategy. 'ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON'T GET IT,' the governor's office wrote Monday on social platform X in response to a segment on Fox's daytime table talk program 'The Five.' During the segment, Perino, who served as a top White House aide during former President George W. Bush's administration, said Newsom and his team 'have to stop it with the Twitter thing.' 'I don't know where his wife is,' she continued. 'If I were his wife, I would say you are making a fool of yourself, stop it.' Newsom's press account has in recent days made a series of posts mocking President Trump and his administration, writing in all caps — the president's signature style — and attacking Fox News and its hosts directly. A recent example came amid the redistricting battle that has spread across the U.S. after Texas Democrats fled the Lone Star State to avoid voting on a map that could give Republicans up to five additional House seats in next year's midterms. Newsom pressed Trump to pull back the GOP efforts. 'DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!),' Newsom's press office posted on X. 'STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.' California Democrats unveiled legislation Monday to move forward with their own redistricting plan to counteract the Texas moves. The governor's pushback on Trump comes amid speculation he could be eyeing a run for president in 2028. 'He's got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger job, he has to be a little bit more serious,' Perino said. In a follow up post on Tuesday, the Governor's press account attacked the host again writing 'FOX HATES THAT I AM AMERICA'S MOST FAVORITE GOVERNOR ('RATINGS KING') SAVING AMERICA — WHILE TRUMP CAN'T EVEN CONQUER THE 'BIG' STAIRS ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE!!!' Updated: 1:55 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
