A Republican lawsuit to Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) proposal to redesign the state’s congressional districts was denied by the California Supreme Court, which is composed of Democratic appointees and has a six-to-one majority.
In its ruling on Wednesday, the court permitted Democrats in the legislature to use a procedural strategy that permits lawmakers to amend the language of an existing measure in order to get around the state’s 30-day waiting period for new legislation.
The decision makes it possible for Newsom and Democratic lawmakers to move forward with a redistricting plan to gain five more congressional seats, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. With no justification, the court quickly rejected the Republican lawsuit.
According to California law, a proposal must sit for 30 days before lawmakers may take any action. However, Democrats relied on the gut and amend procedure, which involves taking a bill that has passed the 30-day mark, stripping out its contents, and then adding the new redistricting plan.
At an estimated cost of over $200 million, the legislature is now set to approve the map and put it to the people in a special election in November. The 2008 independent, voter-mandated redistricting process would be replaced by this idea. According to Newsom, the action is a reaction to Texas’ recent Republican-leaning redelineation of the congressional boundaries.
However, since Democrats have already consolidated their party designs in the states they control and have fewer GOP-held districts to target, a statewide wave of redistricting challenges may ultimately work in Republicans’ favor overall.
