Thursday, February 26, 2026

Federal Court Rejects GOP Bid to Block New Utah Congressional Map, Likely Netting Dems a Seat

A federal court rejected a bid by Utah Republicans to block a new court-ordered congressional map, dealing a major blow to the Republican Party following a yearslong redistricting saga. The decision means Democrats are likely to net one seat in the state, which currently has a four-person all-GOP House delegation, absent late intervention by the Supreme Court.

Republican lawmakers in Utah passed a congressional map in October after state court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the state could not use previous lines that carved up Democratic stronghold Salt Lake City. Gibson later rejected that map, ruling in November that it “fails to abide by and conform with the requirements” of Proposition 4, a ballot initiative passed by Utah voters in 2018 that created an independent redistricting commission and specific redistricting parameters intended to prevent partisan gerrymandering.

Republicans are hoping to repeal the redistricting proposition via a ballot initiative in this fall’s elections.

The loss for Utah Republicans comes as the GOP pushes to overhaul congressional maps ahead of this fall’s elections at President Donald Trump’s urging. Republicans have redrawn maps in their favor in states from Texas to North Carolina, and Democrats have, in turn, pushed their own gerrymanders in several blue states, including California and Virginia.

Katharine Biele, president of the Utah League of Women Voters, which brought the initial lawsuit against the Legislature, called the GOP’s efforts “futile attempts to undermine” the map. “Utah voters should not have to navigate uncertainty to participate in their elections,” Biele said in a statement. “We are pleased the court protected this fair map, and we remain focused on protecting voters’ ability to make their voices heard.” [Politico]

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Cal/OSHA Proposes State Analog to Worker Walkaround Rule

Consistent with its tradition of dropping surprise regulatory proposals near the end of the day before a holiday weekend, Cal/OSHA published a formal proposal on Friday the 13th, 2026, to promulgate a California version of federal OSHA’s so-called “worker walkaround rule.” That rule allows non-employee third parties to serve as an employee representative during an OSHA workplace inspection, provided that the third party is reasonably necessary to conduct an effective and thorough inspection. California employers should take note of this development and monitor it closely. A public hearing is scheduled for April 1, 2026, during which interested individuals may present statements or arguments on the rule. Read More

This effort may have a legislative analog. AB 1859 (Ortega D-Hayward) would require an awarding body or owner to provide reasonable access to representatives of a joint labor-management committee to monitor compliance with prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. The bill would authorize the committee to bring an action against an awarding body, contractor, or subcontractor that willfully denies the committee’s representative reasonable access.

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Audit Axe

California lawmakers killed dozens of proposals that the nonpartisan state auditor had recommended passing, according to a CBS News California analysis. Newsom vetoed at least a dozen more auditor-backed bills.

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Arizona Moves its Primary from August to July

On Feb. 6, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed HB 2022, a bill that moves Arizona’s primary election from the first Tuesday in August to the second-to-last Tuesday in July, starting this year. As a result, Arizona’s 2026 primary will be held on July 21 instead of Aug. 4.

The Arizona House approved HB 2022 unanimously, and the state Senate approved it 27-1.

A statement from the Arizona Senate Republicans said the move was needed to address timing conflicts affecting military and overseas voters, giving them more time to return their ballots before the general election.

The legislation allows signatures gathered on petition forms with the old primary date to be valid. It also:

·        Changes the time for officials to compare a provisional ballot with a list of early voters from five business days to five calendar days.

·        Changes the time for officials to compare a provisional ballot with the polling place roster from 10 calendar days to seven calendar days.

·        Allows county party chairs to appoint election observers for ballot replacement locations.

·        Allows county party chairs to appoint challengers at polling places and early-voting centers.

This is the second time in recent years that Arizona has moved its primary election date. In 2024, Hobbs signed a law moving up that year’s primary by a week to July 30.

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California’s Proposed Rulemaking Provides Cautious Optimism to Employers Amidst Continuing Abuse of Private Attorneys General Statute

On February 6, 2026, the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking announcing its intent to add a new chapter to the California Code of Regulations to implement the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA). The proposed regulations seek to significantly tighten how employees (or their counsel) must submit PAGA Notices to the LWDA, including:

• Using an LWDA form with fillable fields requiring specific pieces of information about the employee and their claims;
• Factual specificity, including background information regarding the employee’s employment, and the facts and theories supporting each alleged Labor Code violation;
• A certification, signed by the employee or attorney, verifying the claims have legal and evidentiary support.

For employers, this could mean fewer boilerplate “catch-all” notices, more defined or limited allegations at the outset, and, in turn, a more meaningful opportunity to respond. Story

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MPD at FPB

District of Columbia police searched Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s offices at the agency’s headquarters this month as part of its investigation of sexual assault allegations against her husband, Shawn DeRemer, according to three DOL officials. Employees who work in the secretary’s suite were ushered out of their offices temporarily Feb. 5, and Metropolitan Police Department personnel entered and looked around, according to the DOL officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Chavez-DeRemer was aware of the decision to bar her husband from the building but was not involved in the discussion that led to it, according to current DOL officials.

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Trades Split

While the Building Trades are backing another candidate to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress, the union for Sheet Metal Workers is breaking ranks and endorsing state Sen. Scott Wiener. The move by Local 104, which represents 10,000 sheet metal workers, is a plot twist after Supervisor Connie Chan picked up the sole backing of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council earlier this week.

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OFCCP Poised to Produce Contractors’ EEO-1 Data Following Losses in Litigation

Starting in 2018, the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) and a CIR reporter have been fighting to force OFCCP to disclose EEO-1 reports that have been filed by federal contractors. These contractors have operated with the understanding that the government must keep such reports confidential. In July 2025, the Ninth Circuit held that the EEO-1 data must be made public. Pursuant to agreements between OFCCP and CIR, OFCCP is now getting ready to produce contractors’ consolidated EEO-1 reports from 2016 through 2020. Absent further challenge, the disclosures were scheduled for February 25, 2026. Read More

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Merced City Councilman Darin DuPont…

is throwing his hat in the ring for one of the Golden State's last remaining Republican-less State Senate battles. DuPont recently announced his candidacy for the 14th Senate District, currently held by Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Merced). The first-term Merced lawmaker joins a field fraught with Democratic infighting as Asm. Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno) was already slated to face off against Sanger City Councilwoman Esmeralda Hurtado, who has received backing from Soria's colleague and neighbor, Asm. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno).

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Draft Cap-and-Trade Rules Draw Opposition from Labor Over Refineries

Chris Hannan, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, told the California Air Resources Board in a letter the union was concerned the draft rewrite would drive more refineries out of state by imposing strict in-state pollution limits.

“Unfortunately, CARB’s current proposal does not reflect our understanding that regulations should be designed to ensure our employer companies participating in the cap-and-invest program can continue operating within the state,” he wrote. “If these regulations are finalized as currently proposed, they would lead to more refinery closures, costing our members their jobs and middle-class livelihoods for their families, while also causing higher pump prices for all Californians.”

The letter marks a major turnaround from September, when the same union proved pivotal in extending the cap-and-trade program by backing AB 1207 in the waning days of the session, largely because it sets aside $1 billion in annual revenue for high-speed rail.

The new rules, once finalized, will govern California’s signature climate policy through 2045, during a period when current emissions-cutting trajectories are not keeping pace with the sharper reductions required in the coming years to hit state climate goals.

But they are also landing as the oil and gas industry seeks to capitalize on warnings that shrinking in-state refining capacity could spike prices — an argument that gained traction last year when Newsom and progressive lawmakers backed expanded oil production in Kern County.

The agency is taking public comments on its draft rules through March 9. It is then planning on bringing final rules to the board for a vote sometime in the second quarter of 2026. If approved, the new rules would go into effect on Sept. 1.