This California Republican wants stronger voter ID laws. Will he get them?
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
VOTER ID INITIATIVE
Californians could vote on stronger voter identification laws in 2026, if Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, has his way.
“We cannot have a healthy democracy if a significant portion of the voter base (has) doubts about how our elections are conducted in California,” he said during a news conference Wednesday morning.
DeMaio said people have the impression election security is compromised when they see ballots go to homes where they no longer live, political groups gathering ballots to drop off and inconsistent rejection rates of signature verification.
The initiative suggested would require the Secretary of State to update and maintain its list of registered voters, verify citizenship when someone registers to vote and require the use of government-issued ID every time someone wants to cast a ballot. Voting by mail would still be possible, as long as a person puts four digits of their government-issued ID on their ballot.
It is currently possible for someone to register to vote by mail and vote without ever showing a government-issued ID. However, according to the nonpartisan Brookings Institution, voter fraud in the United States is “miniscule.”
DeMaio said he planned to submit the draft initiative to Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber on Wednesday. After that, there will be 35 days for the public to weigh in. Then, the Attorney General will issue a title and summary for the initiative, and the signature-gathering process can begin October 1st.
The petition needs 874,641 signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot, and DeMaio said the group is shooting for 1 million.
“This has been years in the making, and it’s like revving up the engine,” he said. “This campaign is ready to go. We just need everyone off the couch and into the fight.”
EARLY WARNING SIGNS
Via Amelia Wu...
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara recently alerted state leaders to a significant increase in costs within California’s workers’ compensation system, reversing a decade-long trend of decreasing expenses.
The letter cites higher medical treatment, higher medical-legal costs and more trauma claims as the causes of the more expensive costs.
Lara emphasized that current workers’ compensation insurance rates are not adequately reflecting these rising costs, a situation that could negatively impact California businesses by affecting their ability to hire and achieve financial growth.
“Because higher insurance rates can affect business’ ability to hire and sustain financial growth, it is important to be aware of early warning signs and respond appropriately,” Lara said in the letter.
In response, the California Department of Insurance and other organizations have recommended an 8.7% increase in the pure premium rate, an advisory benchmark for insurance rates.
The pure premium rate is a benchmark used by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau and the CDI to guide insurance companies in setting their own rates. They are based on various factors, including the number of employees, the employer’s claims history, and the industry’s risk level.
“We must be proactive in analyzing and addressing these early warning signs of a shift in market conditions in order to foster a vibrant and competitive insurance marketplace,” Lara said in the letter. “Our workers’ compensation system is designed to help injured workers and keep costs down for employers. These considerations should guide us in striving for data-driven solutions.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“They can’t win by the traditional game, so they’re trying to change the game. We can act holier-than-thou, we can sit on the sidelines and talk about the way the world should be, or we can recognize the existential nature that is this moment.”
— Gov. Gavin Newsom on Republicans’ efforts to redistrict Texas to win the GOP 5 more seats ahead of the 2026 midterms
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This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 4:55 AM.