Latest news with #MichaelLi
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
State of Texas: Special session redistricting brings risks; THC, floods, STAAR on agenda
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas' first special session of 2025 starts Monday, during which state lawmakers will consider new congressional maps approve the proposal. Special sessions explained: How they work, what the rules are Michael Li, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, specializes in voter participation among minority communities in Texas. He said that the only possible way he sees Republicans being able to maximize gains in Texas is by breaking up majority-Black or Latino districts in cities, like Houston and Dallas. 'In Texas, there really isn't a way to maximize Republican seats anymore without really targeting the political power of communities of color,' Li said. 'It's for districts that are majority non-white and that are all represented by Black or Latino members that have been floated around as districts that might be redrawn or tweaked in some way.' A statement from the Texas Democratic Party released July 10 identified the Houston-area 9th, 18th and 29th congressional districts, as well as the Dallas-Fort Worth 33rd congressional district as the seats most vulnerable to redistricting. All are currently represented by Black or Latino members. 'I am ready, willing and able': House Democrat says he'd break quorum to stop redistricting The Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires certain states to have majority-Black or Latino districts, and courts have recently struck down maps for violating that provision. Alabama and Louisiana were forced to draw new maps ahead of the 2024 election that created an additional Black-majority district, and Texas is already facing litigation over its current maps. The non-white population of Texas is also quickly growing. Texas earned two additional seats in Congress after the 2020 Census, and is currently projected to gain even more if population trends hold. 'This special session and the redrawing of Texas's congressional map … is coming just as we have census data showing that people of color provided all of Texas's population growth between 2023 and 2024,' Li said. 'The white population of Texas actually fell a little bit for the first time.' That leaves congressional candidates with little time ahead of the December filing deadline, especially if the new maps become tied up in court. 'It's almost certain that Black and Latino voters, and perhaps other voters, will be in court trying to block these maps, and there will be a fight about whether the maps will be in place for 2026 or not,' Li said. 'There isn't a lot of time to get new maps in place.' There are also other risks besides legal challenges: Current districts are drawn in a way that minimizes competition and packs cities into just a handful of districts, giving Republicans an edge. Any new map the GOP draws would make current Republican seats more vulnerable in order to create gains. That comes with risks, Li said, because population and demographic changes could upend the map in unpredictable ways. Li said that Republicans are facing pressure from President Trump to get it done, but will have to weigh whether or not they want to take a gamble. 'The question really is, are they willing to give that up, particularly the younger and the members who have less time in Congress, are they really willing to have a much more competitive map for the rest of the decade,' Li said. THC regulation up for consideration Governor Greg Abbott identified six bills he vetoed that are up for further consideration during the special session. Chief among the list is the highly scrutinized Senate Bill 3, which would have outlawed all consumable hemp products containing THC, the intoxicating chemical found in cannabis. In his veto proclamation, the governor made it clear he wants the legislature to look at regulating the hemp industry over a complete ban. He argues the way SB 3 is currently written would be legally fought for years to come. 'If I were to allow Senate Bill 3 to become law, its enforcement would be enjoined for years, leaving existing abuses unaddressed. Texas cannot afford to wait,' Abbott wrote. At one point in its legislative lifespan, SB 3 was not structured as a complete ban on THC products. State Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, substantially changed the bill in the House Committee on State Affairs. It allowed the hemp industry to continue manufacturing hemp drinks and tinctures, and 'other consumable forms as long as they do not resemble a common snack marketed to children,' according to a summary of the bill changes. The King version of the bill also created a regulatory framework for those products that would have been carried about by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Department of State Health Services. 'It allows for some hemp sales to be continued. It bans vapes. It bans vape shops. It bans all synthetics. Delta-9, the natural flower that's grown and sold in Texas, would remain,' King said. The bill was ultimately changed back to its original state after an amendment by State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, on the House floor. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick championed SB 3 the entire session and made it one of his top priorities before the session started. He called the products 'poison' to the community and would not settle for anything less than an outright ban. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Gov. Abbott wants to legalize recreational THC First flood-related bill filed ahead of special session Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, filed the first flood-related bill of the special session. It proposed changes to emergency warning systems operated by municipalities and counties. Senate Bill 25 would allow municipalities to collect residents' contact information to enroll them in emergency alerts, sent via text message, with their consent and the ability to opt-out at any time. Texans would also be able to choose to enroll in emergency alerts when they apply for or renew their driver license. Related: Special session will also target transgender Texans The bill represents the first of expected flood-related measures as lawmakers prepare to address the July 4 Central Texas disaster that exposed gaps in warning systems across the region. Shortly after SB 25 was filed, Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, filed SB 26, a flood relief program that provides loans to small businesses. SB 26 would provide interest-free loans to small and micro-businesses to be used for any expenses, so long as they are Texas-based, impacted by the Central Texas floods and be in good standing with the state. Abbott placed flood warning systems at the top of his 18-item special session agenda following the July 4 floods that killed dozens of people across Central Texas. Kerr County, which suffered the heaviest losses, lacked a flood warning system despite being located in an area known as 'flash flood alley.' 'Replace the people that failed us': Former Kerr Co. IT official calls for change after flood alert delay The disaster raised questions about whether residents received adequate warnings before the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, devastating communities along its banks. During the session, joint House and Senate committees will examine disaster preparedness and flooding issues. The committees will hold their first hearing July 23 at the Capitol, followed by a second hearing in Kerrville to gather resident input. Texas lawmakers create flood disaster committees ahead of special session The committees will examine four areas outlined in Abbott's agenda: flood warning systems, flood emergency communications, relief funding for Hill Country floods, and natural disaster preparation and recovery. Eckhardt's bill adds to growing legislative momentum to address flood preparedness issues that became apparent during the Central Texas disaster, which marked one of the deadliest flood events in state history. Odessa lawmaker files bill to scrap STAAR After multiple failed attempts in recent years, State Representative Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa, is once again trying to eliminate the STAAR test from Texas public schools. Landgraf's House Bill 92 aims to eliminate the STAAR exam and reduce the scope of standardized testing in Texas classrooms. The bill targets all state-mandated assessments that exceed federal requirements and is intended to take effect in the 2025–2026 school year, if passed. 'Texans have made it clear: They want to scrap the STAAR test,' said Landgraf in a statement. 'Students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers are tired of an unnecessarily expensive system that prioritizes high-stakes test scores over actual learning.' HB 92 proposes a shift away from a test-driven education system and instead seeks to restore classroom instruction time and encourage a more well-rounded learning experience. The bill would retain only those standardized tests that are required under federal law, aiming to alleviate pressure on both educators and students. Landgraf pushed similar legislation during the regular session, but fell short of final approval. He says the special session presents another opportunity to 'get this right.' 'We were so close to scrapping STAAR earlier this year,' he said. 'This bill gives Texas another chance to get this right and put the focus of our school system where it belongs, on preparing students for life, not just filling in bubbles on an exam.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
As Newsom ponders redistricting, California projected to lose as many as 4 congressional seats
California could lose as many as four congressional seats in the 2030 apportionment, researchers say. A recent report from the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) echoes earlier forecasts of the state's declining political clout, including from the non-partisan American Redistricting Project and from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. All three reports found the state could lose at least three seats; the Brennan Center projected four. California isn't alone. Other Democratic-leaning states like New York, Illinois and Minnesota are also expected to lose one or two seats due to population declines. Meanwhile, Republican-leaning Florida and Texas could each gain as many as four new seats. Since districts in many of these states tend to be heavily gerrymandered, and because the Electoral College is winner-take-all, these changes would help Republicans in both presidential and congressional races if current partisan preferences hold. The zero-sum math behind apportionment has always been the same: Each state receives seats in proportion to its population at each Census. For decades, that math worked in California's favor. Between 1950 and 1990, the state added an average of 6 new seats every apportionment cycle as its population ballooned. But lately, the state's growth has stalled out. Sky-high housing prices have driven hundreds of thousands out of the Golden State — often to the same red states that are gaining seats at California's expense. That process accelerated during the pandemic, as many Californians left the state and worked remotely from places with lower living costs, said Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program. A large number of Baby Boomers also moved out of the state after retirement, he said. What's more, the immigrants who have lately powered the state's growth are staying away. Their numbers declined during the pandemic and under subsequent Trump-era restrictions. The projected decline of California's clout matters as Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering a countermove to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's redistricting plan favoring Republicans. Abbott called a special legislative session to redraw the state's congressional maps, a move that breaks from the custom of a once-a-decade redistricting cycle. Typically, new maps wouldn't be drawn again until after the 2030 census, unless ordered by a court. But Trump allies are pressuring Texas to make changes early to give Republicans an edge before the midterms. 'They are clearly very, very scared that they're going to lose the House of Representatives in this coming midterm cycle, and they're tipping their hand that they're going to need to cheat,' said John Bisognano, the president of NDRC, which fights for redistricting favorable to Democrats. For his part, Newsom could have a hard time using redistricting as a tool of partisan power. Even if the governor wanted to redraw congressional maps to favor Democrats, which state law already makes difficult, the math might only work out until the next Census. Data shows that not only is California's population stagnant, it's shrinking fastest in Democratic parts of the state. On average, between 2020 and 2023, Republican-leaning congressional districts in California grew, while Democratic ones shrank. California has limited tools to hold onto its political clout. For one thing, the state could invest more in boosting census participation, said Howard Fienberg, co-director at The Census Project. 'People may not be willing to report their information especially if they have illegal identity statuses or they are not proficient in English,' said Fienberg. 'It's also hard to count people accurately in rural or clustered urban areas.' Of course, California could also combat its declining influence by doing what it used to: attracting lots of new residents. Some signs are positive. As more companies require in-person work, people are moving back to the state and the trend could shift in the near future, said Li. 'We are still only halfway through the decade,' said Li. 'The future could look very different.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Redistricting expert explains the risks behind GOP plan for new maps
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas could soon have newly drawn congressional maps if lawmakers approve the proposal during the upcoming special session. After rumors emerged that President Donald Trump was pushing Texas Republicans to redraw the state's congressional maps to give the GOP an advantage in the 2026 midterms, Gov. Greg Abbott officially added it to the special session agenda Wednesday. One expert said there may be risks in redrawing the maps. Michael Li is the senior counsel in the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice and specializes in voter participation among minority communities in Texas. He said that the only possible way he sees Republicans being able to maximize gains in Texas is by breaking up majority-Black or Latino districts in cities, like Houston and Dallas. 'In Texas, there really isn't a way to maximize Republican seats anymore without really targeting the political power of communities of color,' Li said. 'It's for districts that are majority non-white and that are all represented by Black or Latino members that have been floated around as districts that might be redrawn or tweaked in some way.' A statement from the Texas Democratic Party released Thursday identified the Houston-based ninth, 18th and 29th congressional districts, as well as the Dallas-Fort Worth-based 33rd congressional district as the most vulnerable seats in redistricting. All are currently represented by Black or Latino members. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires certain states to have majority-Black or Latino districts, and courts have recently struck down maps for violating that provision. Alabama and Louisiana were forced to draw new maps ahead of the 2024 election that created an additional Black-majority district, and Texas is already facing litigation over its current maps. The non-white population of Texas is also quickly growing. Texas earned two additional seats in Congress after the 2020 Census, and is currently projected to gain even more if population trends hold. 'This special session and the redrawing of Texas's congressional map … is coming just as we have census data showing that people of color provided all of Texas's population growth between 2023 and 2024,' Li said. 'The white population of Texas actually fell a little bit for the first time.' The special session begins July 21 and can last no longer than 30 days. That leaves congressional candidates little time ahead of the December filing deadline, especially if the new maps become tied up in court. 'It's almost certain that Black and Latino voters, and perhaps other voters, will be in court trying to block these maps, and there will be a fight about whether the maps will be in place for 2026 or not,' Li said. 'There isn't a lot of time to get new maps in place.' There are also other risks besides legal challenges. Current districts are drawn in a way that minimizes competition and packs cities into just a handful of districts, giving Republicans an edge. Any new map the GOP draws would have to make current Republicans more vulnerable in their seats in order to create gains. That does not come without risks, Li said, because population and demographic changes could upend the map in unpredictable ways. Li said that Republicans are facing pressure from the president to get it done, but will have to weigh whether or not they want to take a gamble. 'The question really is, are they willing to give that up, particularly the younger and the members who have less time in Congress, are they really willing to have a much more competitive map for the rest of the decade,' Li said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Headlines Scream That Democrats Are Doomed Come 2030—But The Reality Is Murkier
From 30,000 feet, the trendlines for Democrats are cataclysmic: Blue states, particularly the powerhouses of New York and California, are leaching population that's being hoovered up by southern states, particularly Florida and Texas. Come the 2030 census, those blue states will lose House seats and electoral votes and the southern bloc will gain them, making Democrats' path to the White House and to a House majority impossibly difficult. Stack that new reality on top of Republicans' longtime, baked-in Senate advantage, and the future for the political left is grim. 'Texas and Florida will gain and New York and California will likely lose something — the general trends seem clear even if we don't quite have a magnifying glass or a microscope to see exactly what the future will be yet,' Michael Li, senior counsel in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, told TPM. 'It's not if it's gonna happen, it's the degree to which it'll happen,' added Ken Martis, a political geographer and professor emeritus at West Virginia University. Various models predict the red states scooping up differing numbers of votes and seats. The looming problem twists the knife for an already beleaguered Democratic Party, smarting from a defeat in 2024 and confronted with the future of an increasingly authoritarian Donald Trump in the White House, a Congress under unified Republican control and a Supreme Court well stocked with conservatives. Many news outlets have picked up on the trend, prophesying the Democrats' doom: PBS declared the population shifts to be 'Democrats' future crisis'; the Associated Press underscored that 'Democrats are threatened' by the trend; Newsweek called it a 'problem much bigger than Donald Trump'; the Washington Examiner, perhaps with some glee, urged Democrats to 'come to grips' with the political tsunami rolling their way. Still, who is leading this domestic migration, the odd conditions of the 2020 census and the 'wildcard' of incoming immigration all significantly muddy the political picture, and invite humility about predictions of how America — and its political makeup — may look by 2030. 'The idea that this is an automatic good for Republicans I don't think is true,' Li said. Some of the current trendlines stretch back to the mid-20th century, when industrialized states, particularly the rustbelt, started to lose population. In this 'post-industrial era,' molded in large part by globalization, job hubs across the north started to wither. Within that 'megatrend,' as Martis calls it, are more recent, smaller ones. And a smaller trend that was in full swing at the time of the 2020 census was southern migration, as many jobs went remote during the COVID-19 pandemic and people sought cheaper housing, lower taxes and better climates — to New York and California's detriment and Texas and Florida's gain. Meanwhile, immigration into the United States all but stopped, removing a key means of growth for all of those states, but particularly the ones that weren't benefitting from domestic migration. In the years since, that rush to the south has slowed. As immigration began to flow into the U.S. again, California and New York recouped some of their losses. Still, some of the conditions forcing people out of those blue hubs remain; every expert TPM asked cited housing costs and cost of living as a large part of the southward push. Citing April data, Greg Morrow, a housing and land use policy expert at UCLA, told TPM that California issued 23 permits for new housing per 100,000 people compared to Texas' 71 permits — three times fewer. A gnarled knot of byzantine zoning codes, NIMBY (not in my backyard) protests, outdated, sometimes counterproductive environmental regulations and astronomical construction costs (at least $1 million per affordable housing unit in Los Angeles, according to Morrow) make it difficult for states like California to nimbly adjust. But politicians are reacting. Morrow pointed to a more aggressive stance in the last five years by California's state government to take over in the face of local inertia, proposing and passing laws that unwind some of the strict zoning requirements and allow for more building. 'Things are changing — but it's like turning the Titanic,' he said. But the other side of the ledger isn't stable either. Housing costs in the southern states have started floating up, in part due to the increased demand. Other factors, like skyrocketing home insurance costs in Florida caused by climate change-fueled extreme weather, may dissuade relocation too. And then there's the immigration 'wildcard,' said Bill Frey, a demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute. 'If the Trump administration cools down and slows immigration, it'll impact negatively not only Florida and Texas, but also New York and California,' he said. 'Especially the latter two because they depend a lot on immigration.' When you look under the hood at who is moving to the southern states, it further complicates the political ramifications. 'The people who are adding to Texas' population growth and to Florida's and to North Carolina's are very diverse, a lot of people of color,' Brennan's Li said. 'That could change the politics of the states. We've seen that a little bit already in Georgia and North Carolina — they're on the board now for Democrats.' Li pointed to the Dallas suburbs as some of the fastest growing Black communities in the country. Still, while the politics of the region are already changing, Republicans have the far superior track record in winning those states. To avoid the catastrophe trumpeted by many other news outlets, Democrats will have to craft an electoral strategy — perhaps aided by the states' evolving political composition — that involves picking off some southern states to remain competitive. The next five years are as unpredictable a stretch of American history as we've ever seen: 'There were weird things at the beginning of the decade, and there could be weird things at the end,' Li said. But one thing is certain, he added: 'The party that wins the south wins the future.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LumenHaus Teams Up with Matratzen Concord to Drive the Next Era of Smart Living
COLOGNE, Germany, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LumenHaus GmbH, an innovative platform driving the energy transition through decentralized, community-based, and sustainable energy supply, has announced a strategic partnership with Matratzen Concord, Germany's well-known sleep retailer. The collaboration brings together smart energy solutions and home comfort to create immersive, future-ready living experiences for German households. From left to right: Adrian Bühler (LH Marketing Director), Michael Li (MC CEO), Dr. Dai Wang (LH CEO), Martin Beyer (LH Business Director), Günter Föckersperger (MC Sales Director) As Germany undergoes a wave of energy transition and digital transformation, consumers are demanding greater comfort and sustainability in their homes—driving wider adoption of smart home technologies. At the same time, the country's growing sleep economy—fueled by rising stress levels and a growing focus on wellness—is creating new opportunities for energy innovation within the home. Partners and customers alike benefit from LumenHaus, which enables a sustainable and convenient energy future through integrated technologies such as solar panels, battery storage, EV charging, and heat pumps. These solutions will now be brought into Matratzen Concord retail network where consumers can explore the synergy between comfort and clean energy. "We believe that smart energy should be as intuitive and personal as a good night's sleep. Through this collaboration, we're making clean energy visible, tangible, and part of everyday life," said Dr. Dai Wang, Co-founder and CEO of LumenHaus GmbH. "This is more than a retail partnership—it's a shared vision for the future of smart, healthy living. Together, we are transforming traditional home environments into intelligent, sustainable spaces," added Michael Li, CEO of Matratzen Concord. About Matratzen ConcordFounded in 1986 and headquartered in Cologne, Matratzen Concord operates hundreds of retail stores across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The company is committed to delivering high-quality sleep solutions and promoting healthier living through innovative retail experiences. About LumenHaus GmbHLumenHaus is an innovative platform that drives the energy transition through decentralized, community-based, and sustainable energy supply. Partners and customers alike benefit from the platform's ability to enable a sustainable and convenient energy future. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at CONTACT: Contact: in to access your portfolio
