Washington — The California Supreme Court will not prevent Democrats from moving forward Thursday with a plan to redraw congressional districts.
Republicans in the Golden State had asked the state’s high court to step in and temporarily block the redistricting efforts, arguing that Democrats — who are racing to put the plan on the ballot later this year — had skirted a rule requiring state lawmakers to wait at least 30 days before passing newly introduced legislation.
But in a ruling late Wednesday, the court declined to act, writing that the Republican state lawmakers who filed the suit had “failed to meet their burden of establishing a basis for relief at this time.”
The California legislature is set to vote on the redistricting plan on Thursday, which would send the bill to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for approval.
Democratic state lawmakers in California introduced a set of bills to create new district boundaries in a way they hope would flip five congressional seats, a move made in response to President Trump and Texas Republicans’ push to reshape five congressional districts in Texas to favor the GOP. Democratic state lawmakers in California, who have a supermajority in the legislature, want to pass the bills immediately so they can place the proposal in front of voters in a Nov. 4 special election
Democrats’ proposal in California would try to flip five of the state’s nine districts currently held by Republicans and make them more friendly for Democrats. California has 52 congressional districts. The changes may require an amendment to California’s state Constitution to override the independent commission that’s currently responsible for the state’s redistricting process.
The battle over district lines may influence the midterm elections next year. Republicans hold only a slim majority in the House of Representatives, and they want to hold onto it, while Democrats are aiming to take back the House.
Newsom, a potential 2028 contender, has been leading the charge.
“Look, what we’re doing neuters, neutralizes what’s happening in Texas,” Newsom told reporters Wednesday. “People have this chance with this ballot — Nov. 4 — is stand up to the rule of law, stand up for coequal branches of government, stand up to, yes, Donald Trump, but also stand up in the spirit that defines this moment to people being bullied and people being intimidated.”
In a statement to CBS News, the GOP state lawmakers who sued over the redistricting plan said the Supreme Court’s ruling is “not the end of this fight.”
“We will continue to challenge this unconstitutional power grab in the courts and at the ballot box. Californians deserve fair, transparent elections, not secret backroom deals to protect politicians,” the statement read.
The state Assembly and Senate’s appropriations committees advanced the redrawn maps Wednesday, following hearings in which both parties squared off over the redistricting plan.
“I want to note for the record that we do not have all the fiscal information that we need to make this decision,” state Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Republican, said during a hearing. “And we’re going to do it anyway.”
Democratic lawmakers are blaming President Trump for their decision to redraw the maps.
“This started because Donald Trump went to Texas and directed Texas to engage in mid-decade redistricting,” Sen. Scott Weiner of San Francisco told CBS News Sacramento.
Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio says California Democratic lawmakers will try to keep their messaging aimed at Mr. Trump and away from the redrawn district lines.
“This will be a vote against Donald Trump,” Maviglio said. “They don’t want to talk about maps. Maps and redistricting are mind-numbing questions that voters don’t understand, so it’s much simpler, do the math, mobilize the Democrats in the state to make this all about Donald Trump. And talk about how awful he’s been to the state and to say, ‘A yes vote will try to stop him in his track.'”
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