SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Republicans have filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court to block a ballot measure on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new redistricting plan, according to reporting from CBS Sacramento and The Guardian. The legal challenge is the latest action in an escalating dispute between the state’s Democratic and Republican parties over new congressional maps.
Governor Newsom signed legislation creating a special election to be held in November for voters to approve the new map. Democrats state the new map is a necessary response to a mid-decade redistricting effort by Texas Republicans, which could give the GOP five more House seats, according to CBS News. The California plan aims to flip five Republican-held congressional districts to be more favorable to Democrats.
“As long as I have breath in my body, I am going to fight every step of the way. Every loophole they do, every constitutional measure they break, we’re going to challenge them in court,” said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland
Republicans argue the plan is an “unconstitutional power grab” that bypasses the state’s independent redistricting commission, which was created by voters to remove partisan influence from the process. The 432-page petition, filed by the Dhillon Law Group, alleges the new legislation also violates a state constitutional rule requiring a 30-day public review period for bills, according to CBS Sacramento.
The state Supreme Court has already rejected a previous petition from the GOP seeking to halt the legislative process. However, Republican state lawmakers who sued over the plan told CBS News that the prior ruling was “not the end of this fight.” The court’s denial of the latest petition appears to clear the way for the measure to appear on the November ballot.
