California’s Democratic lawmakers are intensifying efforts to advance a crucial redistricting bill as the Thursday deadline looms. Governor Gavin Newsom is backing a new proposal, known as Proposition 50, aimed at placing newly redrawn congressional district maps before voters in a special election scheduled for November 4.
During a session at the California State Capitol on Monday, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas presented the Democratic plan to reshape the state’s congressional districts. “These redrawn districts that we are putting before voters are a temporary response,” Rivas stated, emphasizing the need for adjustments in light of political dynamics.
In a show of opposition, California Republicans responded with a press conference of their own, showcasing a large poster that accused Democrats of crafting a “rigged map” for the upcoming congressional elections. Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher criticized the proposal, declaring, “Let’s not replace it with this joke.”
This push from California’s Democrats follows similar actions by Texas Republicans, who aim to redraw congressional lines to potentially gain five additional seats in the House of Representatives. The newly released map from California includes changes that would make five of the state’s nine current Republican districts more favorable for Democratic candidates. “So I think it is pretty damn simple,” said Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire. “California will move if Texas moves.”
Both Newsom and California Democrats have indicated they would reconsider their mid-decade redistricting efforts if Texas were to abandon its own plans. GOP lawmakers argue that California’s independent redistricting commission, which is responsible for drawing district lines every ten years based on census data, should not be altered. Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare) voiced her concerns, stating, “You can run but you cannot hide… You are disenfranchising Californians and we are tired of democracy dying here.”
The redistricting initiative has included input from Democratic redistricting expert Paul Mitchell, who noted that the team considered voting data from past elections, including those in which Kamala Harris was a candidate. “There are more districts that aren’t touched in this process that are changed,” Mitchell explained. He indicated that they looked at a variety of metrics, including registration data and voting patterns.
California law mandates that redistricting occurs through an independent commission based on census data every decade. Newsom has stated that Proposition 50 would temporarily suspend the commission’s activities, allowing the independent process to resume with the next census in 2030.
The bill is set to be reviewed by the California legislature’s election committee on Tuesday, followed by an appropriations committee meeting on Wednesday. If the proposal passes through these committees, it will require a full vote from both houses by Thursday to meet the deadline set by California’s Secretary of State for the initiative to appear on the November ballot.
