Senate adopts 338-page redistricting amendments after heated debate over urgency and process

The California State Senate on Aug. 18 adopted large, published amendments to AB 604 that replace the bill’s text and advance mid‑decade congressional map changes after hours of floor debate over procedure and urgency.

Senators debated whether the amendments — which opponents said amount to a 338‑page replacement of a previously short bill — were properly published and whether invoking an urgency clause met the constitutional requirement that an immediate threat to public peace, health or safety exist. The chamber ultimately voted to adopt the amendments, 27 to 10.

The issue mattered because the amendments would allow voters to consider a different approach to congressional redistricting than the one enacted by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Opponents said the changes bypassed the commission’s public process and were rushed…