SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) — A confident Gov. Gavin Newsom told national Democrats on a DNC call that he believes the legislature will vote Thursday to support and fund the Nov. 4 special election for redistricting in California.
“We’ll be back in front of the voters in the most transparent and democratic way, with the maps in front of the voters to make a determination of whether or not they want to maintain those endearing principles and values that define this country for the last 249 years,” Newsom said.
The Assembly and Senate appropriations committees met Wednesday to fund the special election as California Republicans cast doubt on whether the state has the money. Democrats fought back.
“The state of California pays over $80 billion in federal taxes that we do not get back,” state Assemblymember Isaac Bryan said. “Money that Los Angeles, (which was) on fire in January, has desperately asked for in federal aid… So to sit here and talk about the cost of a special election to save democracy being too high is unconscionable, hypocritical and unbecoming of anybody in this body.”
Former President Barack Obama applauded Newsom’s redistricting plan, calling it a responsible response to Texas’ new maps.
“I believe that Gov. Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it,” Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. “We’re only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn’t go into effect.”
Republicans in Sacramento, however, are doing everything to delay the proposal, sending a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into allegations Democratic members have engaged in vote trading.
“All of the commission’s meetings are held in public. Commissioners are barred from having secret discussions behind closed doors,” state Assemblymember Carl DeMaio said. “Those are the rules of the California redistricting commission. There’s a reason why those rules exist. Because we don’t want vote trading. We don’t want bribery, we don’t corruption. We don’t want quid pro quo.”
If the special election happens and voters approve the ballot measure, the independent redistricting commission would return after the 2030 Census.
The last special election in California was in 2021 when voters rejected a Republican-led effort to recall Newsom. It cost roughly $200 million. The state has said they’ll cover the price tag for counties for this proposed special election.