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California has always touted itself as a beacon of democracy. In 2008 and 2010, voters enacted constitutional amendments establishing an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which is the gold standard for redistricting and should serve as the national model.
Here in California, unlike other states, our citizens pick their representatives – the representatives don’t pick their citizens. In our Constitution, our criteria is that we keep cities, counties, and communities of interest together while drafting district lines in public, during hearings across the state.
Gavin Newsom wants to go against our Constitution. He drafted maps behind closed doors without community input, splitting counties 16 times and cities more than 100 times, again, without public hearings. The result will be no competitive districts in the state of California. Where voters today have a voice on who is elected, that will go away with Newsom’s redistricting scheme.
I support California Congressman Kevin Kiley’s pro-democracy legislation, which abolishes mid-decade redistricting nationwide and call on the governor, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and all lawmakers to join me in supporting the federal legislation. California must neither sacrifice nor sidestep the citizen-led redistricting commission to fight gerrymandering because it will invite a dangerous trend. When one side bends democratic rules for advantage, the other follows. When both do, democracy stops being about voters, and instead becomes a race to redraw lines. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Democracy is not about winning seats through clever gerrymanders. It is through winning the trust of our citizens and their votes. California must not abandon our system for temporary gain when the long-term health of our democracy is at stake.
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