California’s Democratic-led Legislature has introduced a constitutional amendment that would let lawmakers, rather than the state’s independent commission, redraw the state’s 52 U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. Leaders fast-tracked the measure last week and plan to ask voters to ratify it in a special election this November, arguing that a mid-decade map is needed to counter aggressive Republican redistricting in states such as Texas. Republicans moved quickly to block the plan. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has directed the National Republican Congressional Committee to deploy “every measure and resource” against the proposal, while GOP members of the California Assembly petitioned the state Supreme Court on Monday to delay the ballot measure, contending that Democrats violated a constitutional rule requiring 30 days of public review before floor votes. Election-law scholars say the legal challenge faces hurdles. UCLA professor Rick Hasen notes that the Legislature can ask voters to amend the constitution, though the measure could still be attacked under California’s single-subject rule. Loyola Law School’s Justin Levitt adds that nothing bars legislators from proposing an amendment to override the 2008 initiative that created the independent citizens commission. The fight underscores a broader national escalation over partisan map-drawing. California Republicans warn the proposal could shrink their House delegation to four seats—about 7% of the total—despite the party’s roughly 40% share of the statewide vote. Democrats counter that the new lines would offset GOP gains made through redraws in other large states, setting up a closely watched legal and political clash ahead of 2026.