Good morning, it’s Wednesday, October 15, 2025. In today’s edition, SCOTUS to hear landmark redistricting case; Kansas, Illinois join redistricting fray; Obama backs California’s Prop. 50:
Top Stories
REDISTRICTING: The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in Louisiana v. Callais, a case testing whether the state’s congressional district map amounts to a racial gerrymander by creating a second Black-majority district. At issue is the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting and election procedures that discriminate on the basis of race.
The court’s conservative majority has been chipping away at the Voting Rights Act for more than a decade, but they’ve left Section 2 in place so far. If Section 2 is struck down, the future of majority-minority districts will be thrown into question. A sweeping ruling, if justices opt to take a big swing, could change the face of Congress for decades. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Kansas lawmakers will visit the White House today as they consider a bid to redraw state congressional district lines. The White House State Leadership Conference Series has hosted lawmakers from Indiana, Ohio and Nebraska. Kansas Republicans hope to target U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D) in their redistricting scheme. (State Affairs)
EVEN MORE: U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is pushing Illinois lawmakers to redraw their own district maps. The maps he’s shopping around would target U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R) — but they have to move fast. The filing deadline for next year’s elections is Nov. 3. (Punchbowl)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has vetoed legislation to allow victims of deepfake videos to sue, objecting to a provision that would require tech companies to warn users about unlawful uses of the technology. Newsom also vetoed a bill limiting employers from using AI to make hiring or firing decisions. (State Affairs)
CRYPTO: New York Assemb. Anna Kelles (D) is proposing legislation to implement an excise tax on crypto mining. Revenue from the tax would help subsidize electricity bills for low-income residents, whose costs rise when crypto miners use electricity to power data center mining operations. (State of Politics)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Wisconsin lawmakers have given final approval to legislation making sextortion a felony. The bill was inspired by a teen who died by suicide earlier this year after being threatened with blackmail. Offenders would face up to 60 years in prison if a victim dies by suicide. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
HEALTH CARE: The Massachusetts House is set to vote today on a $2.25 billion spending bill that aims to shore up MassHealth and former Steward Health Care hospitals. The spending package comes after Gov. Maura Healey (D) signed legislation injecting funding into community health care systems, which are also struggling. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
VERMONT: State Treasurer Mike Pieciak (D) has hired U.S. Rep. Becca Balint’s (D) state director, David Scherr, to serve as his deputy. The hire comes as Pieciak is rumored to be planning a run for governor in 2026. (VT Digger)
CALIFORNIA: Supporters of Proposition 50, the measure to redistrict California to aid Democrats, rolled out a new campaign ad featuring former President Barack Obama. In the 30-second spot, Obama tells viewers they “can stop Republicans in their tracks.” (Associated Press)
UTAH: The state Republican Party will seek to repeal a redistricting law approved by voters in 2018 and eliminate a new congressional district map approved by the legislature last week. The party has until Nov. 15 to collect 150,000 signatures to repeal the measure, which prohibits partisan gerrymandering. (Deseret News)
NEBRASKA: Advocates for All Nebraskans, a conservative group, is beginning to collect signatures for proposed ballot measures that would award the state’s electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis. Another initiative the group supports would require elections to be conducted exclusively using paper ballots counted by hand. (Nebraska Examiner)
By The Numbers
512%: The amount of precipitation that fell on southwestern Colorado, as compared to normal volumes, during two storms that washed over the state in recent weeks. Flows in the San Juan River peaked at a height not seen since the 1970s. (Colorado Sun)
$2.2 billion: The proposed budget deficit Illinois faces in Fiscal Year 2027, according to projections. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget said the state is on track to run a $200 million deficit by the end of the current funding year. (State Journal-Register)
Off The Wall
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) official Instagram account accidentally reposted a video of one of his rivals, state Sen. Ryan Fazio (R), kicking off his gubernatorial campaign. Lamont’s team pulled the video down when asked about it by a reporter. (WSHU)
Demonstrators protesting against ICE officers in Portland paused Friday night to celebrate a wedding. The bride wore an inflatable unicorn outfit, while the groom showed up dressed as Kenny from South Park. The best man, the groom’s son, was dressed as Cartman, while the maid of honor appeared as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. (Oregonian)
Only in Portland.
Quote of the Day
“I’ve carried with me this enormous sense of guilt, guilt that doing this job that I love so much has put our children’s lives at risk.”
— Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), on the aftermath of the arson attack on the governor’s mansion earlier this year. The man accused of setting fire to the mansion pleaded guilty on Tuesday. (Harrisburg Patriot-News)