California lawmakers opened their first hearing on a Democratic proposal to scrap the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and draw new congressional lines before the 2026 mid-term elections. The measure, introduced as constitutional amendment ACA8, would place Legislature-drawn maps on the November ballot, bypassing the once-a-decade process voters approved in 2008. The Elections Committee session grew contentious as Republican members objected to the single-day notice and limited debate. They argued the plan could drive GOP representation down to roughly 7% of the delegation—four of 52 seats—and saddle taxpayers with an estimated $250 million special-election bill. Former commissioners Cynthia Dai and Jeanne Raya, both Democrats, told lawmakers the proposal “blatant[ly]” politicizes a system long considered a national model. Democratic sponsors portrayed the move as a counterweight to a mid-cycle map adopted by Texas Republicans, but national GOP leaders quickly mobilized. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has instructed the National Republican Congressional Committee to use “every measure” to block the California plan, while Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California Republican, pressed Johnson to advance his bill that would ban mid-decade redistricting nationwide. Public sentiment remains hostile toward partisan map-making. A Rasmussen survey released the same day found 57% of U.S. voters—including majorities in both parties—believe gerrymandering undermines American democracy. The California bill must clear both legislative chambers by a two-thirds vote to reach the statewide ballot.