California Democrats approve Newsom’s redistricting plan after Texas House passes GOP-drawn maps

KCRA, CNN

By Arit John, Eric Bradner, Arlette Saenz, Ethan Cohen, CNN

(CNN) — California Democrats passed a trio of redistricting bills Thursday, a day after Republicans in the Texas House passed new maps of their own.

Taken together, the package of bills backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will ask voters to replace the state’s current congressional maps with new ones aimed at netting Democrats five US House seats.

California lawmakers framed their redistricting push as a response to Texas, where Republicans lawmakers are advancing new congressional maps at the behest of President Donald Trump. The Texas Senate could pass their new district lines, which Republicans hope will give the party an additional five US House seats, as soon as Friday.

“We’re giving the American people a fair chance,” Newsom said during a signing ceremony Thursday. “Because when all things are equal, we’re all playing by the same set of rules, there’s no question that the Republican party will be the minority party in the House of Representatives next year.”

While the Texas maps will take effect once they’re signed into law, the proposed California maps could still be rejected by voters.

The legislative package approved by California lawmakers calls for a November 4 special election in which voters will be asked to consider a proposed constitutional amendment to override the lines drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission. California voters took the power to draw congressional maps away from lawmakers in 2010.

California Republicans have long acknowledged that their best chance of blocking the redistricting effort is by defeating it at the ballot box. A coalition of gerrymandering opponents and Republican leaders has already started to form to defeat the initiative, known as Proposition 50, in November. State and national Democrats are also preparing to defend the initiative.

The plan from Democrats initially included a trigger to only take effect if another state engaged in mid-decade redistricting, but that provision was removed on Thursday, one day after the Texas state House passed new GOP-drawn congressional maps.

Nick Miller, communications director for Speaker of the California state Assembly Robert Rivas, said in a statement that “because Texas Republicans have voted,” the trigger language ” is no longer necessary.”

In Texas, meanwhile, the state House on Wednesday evening approved new congressional maps — an 88-52 vote on party lines that came two days after the Democrats who had fled the state, denying the House a quorum for 15 days, returned to Austin.

The redistricting plan was initially expected to pass the Republican-dominated state Senate Thursday, but the Senate adjourned Thursday without voting on the bill. State senators will reconvene at 10 a.m. CT Friday.

Democrats are seeking to gain five seats in California, while Republicans are eyeing five additional seats in Texas.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a challenge from California Republicans who filed a lawsuit earlier this week requesting an emergency injunction to stop the redistricting effort on the grounds that the legislature didn’t give voters enough notice.

Republicans on the panels objected to the cost of the proposed special election, which a bill analysis estimated as “likely in the low hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Democrats countered that the cost was worthwhile to counter Texas’ plan to redraw its congressional maps at the behest of President Trump. They also compared the November vote to the cost of Republicans’ failed attempt to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom from power in 2021.

“The costs are going to be just as much as the failed recall that your party placed on Governor Newsom,” Democratic state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes said. “The cost this election is going to cost, is as much as the new ballroom that President Trump is going to build at the White House. Is that fiscally responsible?”

What’s next in Texas?

The Texas state Senate is reconvening Friday morning, and it is expected to approve the redistricting plan that cleared the House on Wednesday night. That would send the measure to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows said in a statement the new maps’ passage has “ushered in a new chapter of Republican unity.”

House Democrats gave up their only legislative mechanism to slow the redistricting plan Monday, when members who had fled to Illinois, New York, Massachusetts and other blue states returned to the state Capitol, allowing the House to establish the two-thirds quorum required under its rules.

However, those Democrats vowed Wednesday night, minutes after the chamber’s vote, to wage a legal battle against the new congressional maps.

“This fight is far from over,” said state Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader. “Our best shot is in the courts.”

As the special session continues, lawmakers will also consider legislation “to impose penalties or punishments for legislators who willfully absent themselves during a session,” according to a statement from Abbott, who added the item to the agenda Wednesday.

What are national Democrats saying?

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Newsom’s redistricting push during a speech Tuesday night, saying that while he opposes gerrymandering, he believes the California Democrat has been “responsible” in his approach.

“I’ve had to wrestle with my preference, which would be that we don’t have political gerrymandering,” Obama said, according to excerpts of his remarks at a National Democratic Redistricting Committee event shared with CNN. “But what I also know is that if we don’t respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop.”

Democrats held a press call Wednesday in which speakers connected the redistricting push in California to the party’s broader efforts to push back against the Trump administration.

“Gov. Newsom didn’t care whether folks would clutch their pearls when he decided to fight fire with fire and level the playing field against this craven, power-hungry White House,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said. “His fight is a game changer, a national moment for Democrats to show up for all voters.”

CNN’s Molly English contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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