California Republicans file petition to cease particular election on Newsom’s redistricting plan

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan is dealing with one other bout of authorized pushback, as state Republicans filed an emergency petition asking the California Supreme Courtroom to dam a November particular election on the proposal.

Named Proposition 50, the redistricting measure, signed into legislation final week, would overhaul California’s congressional map to make 5 GOP-held districts extra favorable to Democrats. The transfer is being framed by Newsom and state Democrats as a direct response to Texas Republicans redrawing their very own maps — below strain from President Trump — to create 5 further GOP-leaning districts.

However opponents argue that California’s plan violates the state structure and undermines an unbiased redistricting fee created by poll initiative within the mid-2000s.

The 432-page petition, filed by the Dhillon Legislation Group and backed by Republican lawmakers, accuses Democrats of skipping a 30-day public overview interval for laws, along with stripping voters and the unbiased residents’ redistricting fee of their energy. It additionally challenges the legality of redrawing maps mid-decade. And it argues the measure violates a rule requiring poll questions in California to solely be a couple of single topic, as a result of it features a provision that redraws the congressional map and a provision that calls on Congress to require each state to make use of a redistricting fee. 

Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland is vowing to battle the plan in court docket.

“So long as I’ve breath in my physique, I’m going to battle each step of the way in which,” Strickland stated. “Each loophole they do, each constitutional measure they break, we will problem them in court docket.”

CBS Sacramento reached out to Newsom’s workplace for remark. Hannah Milgrom, a spokesperson for the Sure on 50 marketing campaign, stated, “Trump’s toadies already acquired destroyed as soon as in court docket. Now, they’re attempting once more – to guard Trump’s energy seize and forestall the voters from having their say on Prop 50. They are going to lose.”

A gaggle of Republican lawmakers filed an analogous emergency petition earlier than the legislature handed the plan. The California Supreme Courtroom already declined to intervene then, however now Republicans are asking the court docket to rethink earlier than ballots are finalized.

If accepted by voters in November, the brand new map could be used for the subsequent three election cycles and will assist Democrats reclaim management of the U.S. Home in 2026.

Newsom and different state Democrats insist the plan continues to be in the end in voters’ arms, in contrast to in Texas, the place Republicans redrew traces with no public vote. They argue it is a essential countermeasure to what they name a broader nationwide technique by Mr. Trump to tilt congressional maps within the GOP’s favor.

Republicans maintain a razor-thin Home majority, and will lose management of the chamber if Democrats flip simply three seats in subsequent yr’s midterm elections — which usually favor the celebration that does not management the White Home.