Prop. 50 decision time 🗳️

In the latest battle between Democrats and President Donald Trump, the fate of the state’s Proposition 50 will be decided today.

Californians who haven’t already submitted their ballots are heading to the polls to either approve or reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts in a way that favors Democrats through 2030. More than 6.6 million ballots have been cast as of Sunday.

As CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller explains, opponents of the measure argue that sidestepping California’s independent redistricting commission is undemocratic and limits Republican voices. Proponents, meanwhile, have been pushing an anti-Trump message focused on countering gerrymandering efforts in other GOP-controlled states, and potentially winning back the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections.

That rhetoric appears to be working: The Public Policy Institute of California found that 56% of likely voters said they would support the measure, compared to 43% who oppose it. Reporting on a wider gap, the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that 60% of likely voters said they’d vote to pass Prop. 50, versus 38% who’d oppose.

• Eric Schickler, co-director of IGS: “The results suggest that Democrats have succeeded in framing the debate surrounding the proposition around support or opposition to President Trump and national Republicans, rather than about voters’ more general preference for nonpartisan redistricting.”

If Prop. 50 passes, it could serve as momentum for other Democratic-leaning states that are considering redistricting. But the party would still face challenges to regain the House through gerrymandering, including tight deadlines and legal disputes.

Read more about Prop. 50’s polling here, and keep up with the latest news on the measure as it unfolds today from Maya and CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang.

More on Prop. 50: As part of our partnership with PBS SoCal, Jeanne and CalMatters’ video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on everything you need to know about Prop. 50 in two minutes. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.

A year after golden mussels were first detected in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, these thimble-sized, invasive mollusks continue to spread — threatening critical infrastructure and farmers in the Delta, writes CalMatters’ Rachel Becker.

Native to China and Southeast Asia, golden mussels can attach themselves to underwater surfaces, clog pipes — like they already have done in Contra Costa County’s water systems — and damage infrastructure. But to stop their spread, state agencies have prioritized protecting the rest of the state from the Delta in lieu of protecting the Delta itself, argue residents and local leaders.

California lawmakers earmarked $20 million in funds this year to fight off the mussels’ invasion statewide, but none of that money was allocated to help the Delta, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Because the region produces more than $4.6 billion in agricultural output, farming could be especially affected, said Christopher Neudeck, a district engineer for many of the Delta islands. 

• Neudeck: “If (the siphons) plug up, we’re going to lose billions of dollars worth of agricultural production. We know it’s become extremely problematic. But nothing has really been done. We’re just in a holding pattern, waiting to let the second shoe drop.”

Read more here.

Turning Point USA plans to make its final tour stop at UC Berkeley on Nov. 10, raising concerns about campus safety among supporters and critics of the organization alike, report Ella Carter-Klauschie and Martin Romero of CalMatters’ College Journalism Network.

Turning Point USA is a nonprofit that promotes conservative values on college campuses. Its co-founder, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot in September during a tour stop at a Utah university, reigniting debates about political violence and free speech. 

After a brief pause, the tour has since stopped at nine college campuses across the U.S. Its last stop will be at UC Berkeley, an acclaimed public university known for its progressive student activism. It will also be the organization’s first event at a California college campus since Kirk’s death.

Dan Mogulof, a UC Berkeley spokesperson, said the Berkeley chapter expected 300 attendees as of Oct. 14. The venue where the event is being held can hold nearly 2,000. Mogulof declined to provide details on how UC Berkeley plans to secure the event, but said the university will be following protocols set by the major events policy.

Read more here.

Six years after an inmate reportedly told another prison psychologist that he wanted to cut off Dr. Beth Fischgrund’s head, a jury awarded a multimillion-dollar settlement to Fischgrund, who accused her employer of failing to respond appropriately to the threat. Read more from CalMatters’ Adam Ashton.