California enacted three laws enabling the legislature to adopt new electoral maps and call a special referendum on November 4. The measures include a constitutional amendment to adopt the new maps, new congressional district limits favoring Democrats, and a rule requiring a special vote to endorse the changes. The legislature bypassed a special independent commission that normally draws maps using census demographics. Republicans, holding 19 of 80 Assembly seats, filed an emergency lawsuit alleging irregularities; the state Supreme Court dismissed the challenge. The Assembly approved the measures 57-20 with two Democratic abstentions, the Senate majority also approved, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed them.
California lawmakers have taken the first step in their strategy to punch back: on November 4, new electoral maps will be put to a popular referendum in a special election. Democrats have passed three new laws. The first is an amendment to the state Constitution to adopt the new maps, a practice known as gerrymandering. The second includes new congressional district limits to favor Democrats. The third rule is the one that calls for a special vote to endorse the modification.
The election is necessary because the legislature has usurped the functions of a special independent commission entrusted with drawing these maps with demographic information obtained from population censuses. The legislative process went smoothly, with Republicans holding only 19 of the 80 seats in Sacramento's lower house. This minority had gone to the state Supreme Court to try to stop the Democrats' gerrymandering bid. In an emergency lawsuit filed this week, they accused the ruling party of committing irregularities.
Even so, two members of the Democratic caucus abstained in a vote, which passed with 57 votes in favor and 20 against. Once the initiatives were approved by the Assembly, they went to the local Senate, where they also received the approval of the majority. California Governor Gavin Newsom then signed the initiatives, the final step in the process.They fired the first shot, Texas.
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