New hearing set for challenge to California’s Prop 50 maps

A three-judge panel next month is set to hear arguments for and against California’s new U.S. House District maps under Proposition 50. Voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50 in November, which changed the maps to give Democrats even more of an advantage in future congressional elections. (Video Above: California GOP sues after voters approve Prop 50)California’s Republican Party, along with voters and members of the Trump administration, sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber for the new maps, claiming they violate the Constitution by favoring Latino voters over other racial groups. Democrats have called the allegations “meritless.” The U.S. Central District Court of California at first was planning to hear the issue next week, but judges agreed to push the date to Dec. 15 in response to a request from California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is defending Weber and Newsom in the case. Court documents show the attorney general’s office last week asked the court to push the hearing date to January 20 and for the hearing to last five days. The state’s attorneys said Republicans alone appeared to have six hours of planned witness testimony and another two hours of oral arguments. Bonta’s office said the Dec. 3 hearing would “not provide enough time to build a sufficient record to enable the Court to render the necessary findings of fact and conclusions of law on Plaintiffs’ and Plaintiff-Intervenor’s claims.” It’s not clear yet if the hearing on Dec. 15 in Los Angeles will last one day or stretch further into the week. Court filings from Friday show judges have asked each side to provide a list of witnesses by Wednesday, Nov. 26, and then file a joint list of witnesses and exhibits with the court by Monday, Dec. 1. “Obviously, we were pushing for something earlier,” said Mike Columbo, an attorney with Dhillon Law Group who filed the original lawsuit on behalf of Republicans. “I respect the court’s desire to have a nice, good record for them to make the right decision.” In an interview with KCRA 3, Columbo said Republicans want a resolution as soon as possible, noting congressional candidates can formally begin campaigning on Dec. 19. He said Republicans have identified Feb. 7, 2026, as the “really hard date” for a decision. “Our view is that we can’t get anywhere close to that date,” Columbo said. Columbo said he expects the case to ultimately end up in the hands of the United States Supreme Court. “The stakes are too high for whoever does not prevail before the three-judge panel,” Columbo said. “It’s almost certainty that the defendants will be pushing to slow the case down and delay it so that they can make that argument that it’s just too late.” KCRA 3 reached out to the California Attorney General and the Governor’s office for comment and was waiting for a reply as of Tuesday afternoon. KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.

A three-judge panel next month is set to hear arguments for and against California’s new U.S. House District maps under Proposition 50.

Voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50 in November, which changed the maps to give Democrats even more of an advantage in future congressional elections.

(Video Above: California GOP sues after voters approve Prop 50)

California’s Republican Party, along with voters and members of the Trump administration, sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber for the new maps, claiming they violate the Constitution by favoring Latino voters over other racial groups. Democrats have called the allegations “meritless.”

The U.S. Central District Court of California at first was planning to hear the issue next week, but judges agreed to push the date to Dec. 15 in response to a request from California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is defending Weber and Newsom in the case.

Court documents show the attorney general’s office last week asked the court to push the hearing date to January 20 and for the hearing to last five days. The state’s attorneys said Republicans alone appeared to have six hours of planned witness testimony and another two hours of oral arguments.

Bonta’s office said the Dec. 3 hearing would “not provide enough time to build a sufficient record to enable the Court to render the necessary findings of fact and conclusions of law on Plaintiffs’ and Plaintiff-Intervenor’s claims.”

It’s not clear yet if the hearing on Dec. 15 in Los Angeles will last one day or stretch further into the week. Court filings from Friday show judges have asked each side to provide a list of witnesses by Wednesday, Nov. 26, and then file a joint list of witnesses and exhibits with the court by Monday, Dec. 1.

“Obviously, we were pushing for something earlier,” said Mike Columbo, an attorney with Dhillon Law Group who filed the original lawsuit on behalf of Republicans. “I respect the court’s desire to have a nice, good record for them to make the right decision.”

In an interview with KCRA 3, Columbo said Republicans want a resolution as soon as possible, noting congressional candidates can formally begin campaigning on Dec. 19. He said Republicans have identified Feb. 7, 2026, as the “really hard date” for a decision.

“Our view is that we can’t get anywhere close to that date,” Columbo said.

Columbo said he expects the case to ultimately end up in the hands of the United States Supreme Court.

“The stakes are too high for whoever does not prevail before the three-judge panel,” Columbo said. “It’s almost certainty that the defendants will be pushing to slow the case down and delay it so that they can make that argument that it’s just too late.”

KCRA 3 reached out to the California Attorney General and the Governor’s office for comment and was waiting for a reply as of Tuesday afternoon.

KCRA 3 Political Director Ashley Zavala reports in-depth coverage of top California politics and policy issues. She is also the host of “California Politics 360.” Get informed each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on KCRA 3.