California’s supreme
court has struck down the state GOP’s attempt to delay Governor Gavin Newsom’s
redistricting plan, clearing the runway for the measure to reach the November
referendum vote.
The GOP lawmakers who
filed the challenge argued that Newsom had moved forward too quickly, and
violated the state’s independent redistricting commission.
On Wednesday, the
justices disagreed.
Newsom’s plan, which is contingent
upon Texas passing their
initial redistricting effort, has some California Republicans incensed.
“We have a governor, we
have political insiders, we have legislators who are breaking California’s
constitution by drawing congressional maps behind closed doors, with no
transparency,” California State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Wednesday.
“The new maps that
Democrats in your state want to pass … they include a trigger, that they would
only go into effect if Texas’s redistricted maps go into effect … Do you hold
Texas Republicans at all responsible for what you’re facing in your state?”
Keilar asked.
“Well, that
actually—Governor Newsom said that this would only happen if Texas redrew their
maps, however that’s not what the bill language they presented said,”
Vallardares said. “It says if any state redraws their maps, that this would go
into an effect.”
“Okay. But that’s
the effect of this. There is a trigger. This isn’t happening in a vacuum.
There’s a contingency. And in this case, it is Texas. So let’s just be clear.
If it says other states, well, it’s Texas,” Keilar said. “So do you
have any criticism from members of your own party in Texas?”
Vallardares avoided the
question, instead insisting that what Newsom was doing was wholly illegal.
“If you can’t criticize
Republicans in Texas for their approach, which is so different from the one
that you’re advocating for in California, how should voters see California
Republicans…opposed to a move like this only when it doesn’t favor them?” The
CNN reporter asked.
“Listen, I was
elected, and the 120 legislators that were elected this past November in
California, to uphold the California Constitution. This isn’t a Republican
issue. This isn’t a Democrat issue. This is an issue of political elitists in
California silencing and taking the power away from California voters,”
Valladares said, once again avoiding Keilar’s question.
California’s
redistricting referendum is set for November 4, 2025.
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