| A rallying cry among opponents of Proposition 50, Democrats' congressional redistricting measure on the ballot on Tuesday, has been that the proposed new district boundaries were drawn secretly in smoke-filled backrooms. |
| "It's been asked dozens, if not hundreds of times, and I'll ask one more time on this floor: 'Who drew the maps?'" Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) said on the floor of the Legislature Aug. 21 before the body voted to put the matter before voters.
The argument is a rhetorical pirouette given that everyone in Sacramento knew that Democratic redistricting expert Paul Mitchell drew the proposed district boundaries in an effort to help his party take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in next year's midterm election. His firm's name was literally on every page of the proposed maps submitted to legislative leaders in August by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. |
| The not-a-secret secret has become such a farce among Sacramento lawmakers that Mitchell plans to make light of it for Halloween. |
| Mitchell and his wife, Jodi Hicks, the head of Planned Parenthood's California operations, plan to dress up on Halloween as "Dora the Explorer" and "Map," a rolled up paper map with big eyes and a kind smile who lives in the animated character's backpack and helps her navigate the world on the Nickelodeon show. |
| "Dora is looking to flip the House, and she's brought her trusty sidekick, Map!" Mitchell said. |
| Hicks is one of the signatories supporting Proposition 50 in the voter guides mailed to California's 23 million registered voters. |
| The ballot measure is about the obscure process of drawing congressional district boundaries, which typically takes place once a decade after the U.S. Census. But after President Trump urged Texas and other GOP-led states to redraw their congressional lines to boost the number of Republicans in Congress, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other California Democrats decided to counter the move. |
| The bottom line: The party that wins control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections will control whether Trump can enact his agenda or if he is the target of multiple investigations and possibly another impeachment. |
| The districts drawn by Mitchell make five of California's 52 congressional districts more favorable to Democrats. But because redistricting in the state is normally conducted by an independent voter-approved commission enshrined in the state constitution, Newsom and state Democrats had to take their proposal to voters in a special election. |
| The campaign, which spanned a little more than two months, has been a sprint since lawmakers voted in August to put it on the ballot. It's one of the most expensive ballot measures in state history, with the three main campaign committees raising $158 million, according to fundraising reports filed with the Secretary of State's office last week. Donors have also spent millions of dollars on outside efforts. |
| The majority of the money has flowed to support the effort, to the point that Newsom this week did something unheard of in politics – he repeatedly told donors to stop sending checks. |
| The spending, such as ads during the World Series, appears to have had an impact. While strategists on both sides of the aisle initially believed the proposition was a jump ball because of its focus on the esoteric topic of redistricting, the messaging appears to have moved the needle in the polls, with Proposition 50 on track to win. |
| Supporters, with the help of prominent Democrats such as former President Obama, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, painted the proposition as an opportunity to fight back against Trump. Opponents focused on the mechanics of how congressional districts are created, suggesting voters are being hoodwinked. |
| Six out of 10 likely voters support the ballot measure, while 38% oppose it, according to a poll released Thursday UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies that was co-sponsored by The Times. |
| No one expects the vote on Proposition 50 to be the end of the debate. Trump and his supporters are likely to sue if the measure passes. A Voting Rights Act case before the Supreme Court could upend congressional districts across the country. Long after it's over, Prop. 50 will likely haunt California politics for a while. |
Today's top stories |
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| A homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) |
Can $750 a month help people exit homelessness? |
- A USC study found 48% of homeless people receiving $750 monthly exited homelessness versus 43% without the cash — a difference too small to be statistically significant.
- Recipients, however, were able to bring more stability to their lives. They overwhelmingly spent stipends on essentials such as food, transportation and clothing, with only a small portion going to alcohol and drugs.
- Researchers recommend pairing future cash programs with targeted housing assistance to improve housing outcomes.
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Rose Bowl accuses UCLA of trying to move football games to SoFi Stadium in lawsuit |
- The City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Co. filed a lawsuit to force UCLA to honor the remaining two decades of its contract and keep Bruin football games in the historic stadium through 2044.
- UCLA's lease runs through June 30, 2044, and Pasadena officials say taxpayers have invested more than $150 million in stadium renovations, while recently refinancing another $130 million in bonds for additional capital improvements.
- UCLA denies breaching the contract, arguing preliminary relocation discussions don't violate the lease agreement.
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ESPN and Disney channels have been blacked out on YouTube TV in a contract dispute |
- More than 10 million YouTube TV customers lost access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels Thursday night after contract negotiations over carriage fees collapsed.
- The dispute reflects broader tensions as programming companies demand higher fees for sports content while pay-TV providers push back against ever-rising subscriber bills.
- College football and NFL games are among the programming affected, with no clear resolution timeline as similar disputes have previously lasted nearly two weeks.
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More big stories |
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Commentary and opinions |
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This morning's must read |
| | | After his arrest on Aug. 28, Sizhe Weng described the assaults on the three victims "at length and in detail" to LAPD detectives. | | | |
Other great reads |
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For your downtime |
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| Now in its eighth and final year, the Hatteras Halloween House is a family affair run by father Kenny Enea, mother Ana Lovelis, with their dog Edgar, and their daughters Nia, left, and Rena. (David Butow/For The Times) |
Going out |
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Staying in |
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A question for you: What are your go-to easy Halloween costumes? |
| Carmen writes: "7 years ago: Dodgers cap headstone with RIP 2018 Dodgers pinned to my Dodgers jersey, and smeared tear-stained mascara around & beneath my eyes. So simple, heartbreaking whenever I see that photo. I pray that costume is irrelevant this year..." |
| Michael writes: "I put on a thrift shop bowling shirt, ratty shorts, flip flops and go as a character from "The Big Lebowski." Less than three minutes and I'm in character!" |
| Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. |
And finally ... the photo of the day |
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| Director and acting coach Kenshaka Ali sings "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times) |
| Today's great photo is from Times photographer Juliana Yamada at the Gardenia Supper Club's open mic night where people can't get enough. |
| Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
| Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
| How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. |
