Tran blasts Supreme Court’s mail-in voting ruling
U.S. Rep. Derek Tran (D-Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood/Orange County) sharply criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Monday to lift an injunction blocking President Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections.
The court’s 6-3 unsigned ruling, split along ideological lines, lifted a Massachusetts judge’s June injunction that had blocked key parts of the order in California and 22 other mostly Democratic-led states that sued the administration. It also granted a related application from Alabama and 11 other states.
The order directs the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to voters on a federal eligibility list. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the ruling “does not address whether the President’s attempts to interfere with states’ administration of the November 2026 elections are lawful,” while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accused the majority of “taking its eye off the ball.”
“The Supreme Court’s decision to allow restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections betrays the American people and threatens our democracy. Voting by mail is safe, secure, and gives more Americans the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. Voting by mail helps working parents, people with disabilities, college students, and seniors who face barriers to voting in person participate in our democracy. It ensures that our service members who are serving our country overseas can have a voice in our elections. President Trump knows this, having voted by mail multiple times himself,” said Tran.
“I am horrified that the Court entrusted with upholding our nation’s highest ideals, including protecting our democracy, is standing by as President Trump continues to sow the seeds of doubt in our elections. I will keep fighting to ensure our elections remain free, fair, and accessible to all American citizens,” the Congressmember added.
Tran voted against the SAVE America Act in February, which would tighten voter ID requirements, and sent a letter with Rep. Susie Lee in July urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to strip voter ID provisions from the Stop Insider Trading Act to protect mail voting.
He’s also an original cosponsor of H.R. 14, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Bass pushes bill to hold cold storage giants accountable
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass‘s office testified this week before two state Senate committees in support of AB 817, legislation aimed at holding cold storage companies accountable for industrial disasters, following the June fire at a Lineage-operated warehouse in Boyle Heights.
Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez introduced the measure, which Bass and community partners, including East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Housing Equity & Advocacy Resource Team, Inclusive Action for the City, St. John’s Community Health, and the California Community Foundation, co-sponsored.
The June 17 fire at the 491,000-square-foot Lineage facility burned for more than a week, triggered an ammonia leak and shelter-in-place order, and has since drawn scrutiny over the company’s broader safety record — a CBS News investigation found 63 fires at Lineage sites over the past decade, and government watchdog data shows regulators have assessed more than $4.5 million in penalties against the company for safety and environmental violations since 2014.
“At every turn, Lineage has failed to meet its responsibility to Boyle Heights and East LA and to provide meaningful support to residents and small businesses. We cannot change what happened in Boyle Heights, but we can change what happens next. AB 817 holds cold storage companies accountable if something goes wrong and ensures communities are protected. I thank Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez for introducing this legislation and for being such a strong partner. I will continue doing everything in my authority to demand the answers and accountability this community deserves,” said Bass.
Bass has said Lineage and property owner Chill Build do not deserve to rebuild and has called on city lawyers to pursue litigation, a lien and all available legal options for cost recovery and penalties.
Parris touts Lancaster’s hydrogen manufacturing win
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris announced a public-private partnership this week bringing hydrogen vehicle manufacturer US Hybrid Corp.’s headquarters and manufacturing operations to Lancaster, a deal expected to create 1,200 skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs.
Under the agreement, US Hybrid will build hydrogen-powered buses and trucks and convert existing fleets to fuel-cell propulsion, while First Public Hydrogen — the nation’s first public hydrogen joint powers authority, co-founded by Lancaster and headquartered there — supplies the fuel.
It’s among FPH₂’s first commercial partnerships and one of the largest hydrogen mobility commitments in California to date. Operations are expected to begin in 2027; the manufacturing site’s exact location is still being determined as US Hybrid explores real estate options in the city.
“Lancaster has built a reputation as a city where innovation thrives. Our foundational work with FPH₂ laid the groundwork for this massive win — bringing US Hybrid’s headquarters and manufacturing operations right here to our city. This means excellent jobs for our workforce, significant local investment, and a stronger local economy. We are proving that clean energy is the ultimate economic engine,” said Parris.
US Hybrid plans to work with local workforce development organizations and educational institutions to train and hire in the Antelope Valley.
