Rep. Kevin Kiley urges House Speaker to stop all partisan redistricting efforts
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
ALL GERRYMANDERING ALL THE TIME
Via David Lightman...
The debate over a Democratic-led tactic to gerrymander voting districts in California continued Tuesday with Republicans touting a legal challenge they filed with the state Supreme Court, committees hearing bills related to the effort and former members of a state redistricting committee voicing concerns about the proposal.
On the federal side, Rep. Kevin Kiley, usually a strong Republican and Trump loyalist, was critical of how House Speaker Mike Johnson has handled what is playing out in California.
“You can stop Newsom’s Redistricting Sham and save our taxpayers $250 million by bringing my mid-decade redistricting bill to the Floor,” Kiley, R-Roseville, wrote on X, referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Kiley has introduced legislation in the House that would bar mid-decade restricting. It’s a plan that would currently have more of an impact on Republicans, who are moving to redraw lines in GOP-dominated states such as Texas, Indiana, Ohio and Florida.
The congressman has spoken to Johnson in recent weeks about the bill. Johnson has not said what he may do.
Kiley’s 3rd Congressional District would be dramatically reconfigured if Democrats, and ultimately voters, approve changes to how maps are drawn in the state. The second-term congressman, who said he plans to run again, would face the challenge of running in a district that includes more of the Democratic-friendly Sacramento area. He also may have to square off against Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento.
In an X post Monday, Johnson instructed the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House’s campaign arm, to “use every measure and resource possible to fight the California Democrats’ illegal power grab.”
Johnson also vowed, ”I will continue to lead efforts to defend our House Republican incumbents and grow our majority so that we can continue to deliver on our commonsense, America First agenda.”
Congress returns to Washington, D.C. Sept. 2.
IN OTHER NEWS
Via David Lightman...
California not only had the nation’s highest state unemployment rate last month — it was also the only one to see that figure increase, the federal U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.
California’s jobless rate in July was 5.5%, up 0.1 percentage point from June. Next was Nevada at 5.4%. Both rates were well above the national figure of 4.2%.
The biggest month-to-month losses were in professional and business services, the largest white collar sector, which lost 7,100 jobs.
The state’s Employment Development Department reported that “specialized design, computer design, and scientific research and development have experienced consistent year-over losses each month this calendar year” as a reason behind the losses.
Construction and leisure and hospitality also saw declines.
Gaining, though, were private education and health services, up 23,000 jobs, due partly to services needed by the state’s aging population.
Overall, the state added 15,000 nonfarm jobs in July.
“It is not uncommon that the unemployment rate goes up, even as the payroll job numbers increase,” said Michael Bernick, an employment attorney at Duane Morris LLP and a former EDD director.
The two measures are based on different surveys. The payroll numbers come from a survey of employers, while the unemployment rate is computed using a census household survey.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“My colleagues and I — we are going to be on the right side of history.”
— State Sen. Suzette Valladares, R-Acton, during a news conference Tuesday morning about a legal challenge to the redistricting effort.
Best of The Bee:
- Who are some of the most vocal dissenters of Gavin Newsom’s CA redistricting plan? via Kate Wolffe
- California’s in a nationwide redistricting civil war. Who’s favored to win? via David Lightman
- Newsom used telework as a bargaining chip. State worker unions see opportunity via William Melhado
- California Republicans take redistricting fight to the state Supreme Court via Stephen Hobbs
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