Good morning, it’s Friday, August 22, 2025. In today’s edition, California approves redistricting plan; Sherrill leads in New Jersey; Blackburn posts big lead in Tennessee GOP primary:
Top Stories
REDISTRICTING: California lawmakers signed off on a legislative package asking voters to redraw state political boundaries. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the three bills on Thursday — one to amend the constitution to allow for mid-decade redistricting, a second to ask voters to adopt maps that favor Democrats, and a third to pay for November’s statewide election.
The new maps target districts held by U.S. Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R) and Kevin Kiley (R) in Northern California; Reps. Ken Calvert (R) and Darrell Issa (R) in the San Diego area (R); and Rep. David Valadao (R) in the Central Valley. It also shores up Rep. Adam Gray (D), who won one of the closest fought contests in the country last year. (Pluribus News)
A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll finds 48% of California voters would back a temporary gerrymandering effort, while 32% are opposed. (Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has expanded the special session agenda to call for new penalties for lawmakers who are absent for extended periods of time, a week after Democrats who broke quorum returned to the state. Absent Democrats already face $500 daily fines, but Abbott wants increased penalties. (Pluribus News)
EVEN MORE: Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) is hinting at a special session on redistricting, after President Trump claimed the state “is now IN” on a plan to redraw maps. (Missouri Independent) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says he will challenge results of the 2020 Census, claiming the state is owed an extra congressional seat. (WUSF)
DISASTER RELIEF: The Texas House has adopted legislation requiring camp operators to develop emergency plans including shelter and evacuation preparation. The Senate adopted a bill prohibiting licensing a children’s camp if it is located in a floodplain, with some exceptions. (Texas Tribune)
IMMIGRATION: A U.S. District Court judge has ordered Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration and the Trump administration to stop bringing new detainees to the immigrant detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, and to shutter the facility within 60 days. The order comes in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups who alleged a proper environmental review was required to operate the facility. (Miami Herald)
ENVIRONMENT: At least six states adopted so-called extended producer responsibility laws this year, requiring manufacturers of everything from paint to packaging to be responsible for the end life of their products. Some of the measures create new recycling programs, while others require new studies on the feasibility of producer responsibility programs. (Pluribus News)
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll shows U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) leads former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) 44% to 35% in the race for governor, about in line with other public surveys in the race. The same poll from early July showed Sherill up by a 20-point margin. (New Jersey Globe)
TENNESSEE: A poll from the Beacon Center of Tennessee found Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) leading U.S. Rep. John Rose (R) 66% to 14% in the Republican gubernatorial primary. The poll found both Blackburn and Rose leading a generic Democratic candidate by 19 points. (Beacon Center)
ALASKA: Attorney General Treg Taylor will resign effective next week. He’s expected to join the crowded race for governor. Former state Sen. Tom Begich (D) became the first Democrat to join the race this week, alongside nine Republicans who are already vying to replace term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R). (Alaska Beacon)
TEXAS: U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R) will run to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), he said Thursday. Roy, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, served as Paxton’s deputy until 2018. He called on Paxton to resign after former colleagues reported Paxton to law enforcement in 2020. (Associated Press)
OHIO: State Rep. Allison Russo (D) will run for Secretary of State in 2026, she said Thursday. Russo stepped down frothier position as House minority leader last month in preparation for a statewide bid. (Columbus Dispatch)
By The Numbers
51.9 million: The number of immigrants who live in the United States, down from a record high of 53.3 million recorded in January. It’s the first time in half a century the number of immigrants in the United States has declined.(Pew Research Center)
41%: The share of officials administering the 2024 elections who were not on the job in 2020, a massive increase in turnover in recent years. The share of local election officials with more than six years of experience dropped from 60% in 2006 to 47% in 2024. (Nevada Current)
Off The Wall
Residents in Ridgefield, Wash., waited in line overnight for the grand opening of the state’s first In-N-Out Burger. The restaurant was scheduled to open at 10:30 a.m., but it opened its doors two hours early to accommodate the long lines. (Los Angeles Times)
Marwah Rizqy, a member of the National Assembly of Quebec, celebrated her tenure in office by attempting to set a Guinness World Record by wearing 360 neck ties at the same time. It took her 48 minutes to put on the 330 ties needed to break the existing world record, set by a Brazilian man in 2023. (UPI)
Serious question: What Guinness World Record should we attempt? Most legislative bills read in a day? Most legislative sessions covered? Dumbest jokes?
Quote of the Day
“I can’t see a scenario where every two or four years we’re redistricting. I can’t see a scenario where that makes life better for anybody.”
— Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), warning of the perils of mid-decade redistricting. (Deseret News)