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You might recall that California's redistricting commission was created with the passage of Proposition 11 in 2008 - the idea being to let an independent citizens commission, not elected officials, redraw district maps. Generally, the redrawing is likely to benefit Democrats more than Republicans - so much so that some analysts say Democrats could wind up with a two-thirds majority in the Legislature. Of course, that assumes the changes go through. From the Sacramento Bee:
California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro said this week that his party is considering either filing a lawsuit or launching a referendum to fight some or all of the maps. The commission also is bracing for other legal challenges. It has hired two high-powered law firms to defend the maps, and the state has set aside $1.5 million to bankroll litigation costs.
Final action will be taken Aug. 15. The changes are expected to be used for next year's statewide races.