The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties.
A new congressional map will most likely appear on a special election ballot in California, whether or not Texas signs into law its own gerrymandered maps, after the “trigger” language was removed from the proposed constitutional amendment Thursday.
State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) has added additional stakes to the redistricting drama that is unfolding in California with an initiative designed to punish any lawmaker who votes to gerrymander the state's maps.
Monday marked another escalation in the mid-cycle redistricting fight between Republicans in Texas and Democrats in California – with one in another special session to add 5 more GOP seats, and the other maneuvering to counter this with 5 new Democratic seats.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wasted no time in escalating the state’s redistricting battle. Within two hours of the previous special session ending on August 15, Abbott called lawmakers back to Austin with instructions to deliver a new map.
On August 12, Republican California Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (San Diego) sent a letter to the Director of California's Legislative Counsel, Cara Jenkins, requesting a legal opinion on what he calls an “unconstitutional effort for mid-cycle redistricting.”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom is finding out the hard way that Californians, especially independents, are not eager to hand politicians the keys to redistricting again.
A brand new Citrin
It is a classic political threat. Take one more step, and I will act. But this time, even though the target is Texas Republicans, it could easily turn out that California Democrats wind up taking the fall.
The nation’s attention is currently on the ongoing redistricting fight between Republicans and Democrats. The conversation is being framed: “Donald Trump is doing this.” “Gavin Newsom is doing that.” However, what voters are missing is the context of how we got here.
Texas is an open partisan primary state, which means it does not have to register voters by party affiliation. When voters go to the polls in the primary, they can freely choose between a Republican and a Democratic ballot.
Gerrymandering wasn’t invented by Trump. It predates most states in the union. It’s named after Elbridge Gerry, who sliced up Massachusetts in 1812 to help his party, leaving behind a district so distorted it looked like a salamander.
Cara Brown McCormick
Shawn Griffiths
Chad Peace
Steve Peace
