A Republican lawmaker in California is introducing a bill that would split the state into two parts, dividing the rural areas from the coastal megacities like San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles.
State Assemblyman James Gallagher argued Republicans have been ignored, so he’s proposing a “two-state solution” to counter California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting efforts.
“The people of inland California have been overlooked for too long,” Gallagher said.
Last week, Newsom signed two redistricting bills that passed the Democratic-controlled state legislature and declared a special election in November where voters will be asked whether they approve of the newly drawn congressional maps.
California Republicans are in a tricky situation: They have to oppose the gerrymandering in their own state while trying to separate their issue from President Donald Trump’s push for redistricting in Texas.
The argument for Inland independence
Gallagher opposes the redistricting effort but came to Trump’s defense, telling the New York Times last week that the situation unfolding in Texas is in response to the gerrymandering in Massachusetts and Illinois led by Democrats. He said it was “about power” for both sides.
In his latest press release about the two-state split bill, the Republican state assemblyman said, “California is run by politicians who don’t care because they don’t have to. … They exploit our water, suppress our energy, skyrocket our costs and kill our jobs.”
This proposed new state would include most of Northern California, the Sierra Nevada, the Central Valley and the Inland Empire, where many counties are either Republican strongholds or at least conservative leaning. That’s about 10 million people.
Meanwhile, California’s coastal cities tend to lean liberal.
According to a California-based NBC affiliate, this has been attempted 220 times in the state’s history.
“I have come to see that the only way we can obtain proper attention is by pursuing our own statehood. With this measure, we will begin the first step of that process,” Gallagher said.
“We will not be subject to a state that deprives us of a fair voice,” he said adding, “Gavin, let my people go.”
In response to Gallagher, a spokesperson for Newsom told Nexstar News, “A person who seeks to split California does not deserve to hold office in the Golden State. This is a stunt that will go nowhere.”
The Republican lawmaker quipped back at Newsom’s office. “I am duly elected six times over and I assure you my actions represent exactly how my people feel,” Gallagher said. “We will not allow you to strip us of representation.”
Lawsuits against California’s redistricting efforts
This isn’t the only effort from Republicans to hinder the California governor’s ambitions for redrawing the maps.
GOP legislators filed a lawsuit against Newsom’s office that argues the redistricting efforts are unconstitutional on Monday.
Mike Columbo, a partner at Dhillon Law Group who joined California Republicans for a press conference Monday, says the petition to the Supreme Court argues Newsom is breaking the law by putting redistricting on the ballot this fall.
“One, they combined two unrelated subjects into one measure, forcing voters into an illegal take-it-or-leave-it choice on two separate subjects,” said Columbo, as The Hill reported.
“Two, the constitutional provisions in force now say that redistricting has to be done by the independent citizens commissions,” Columbo says. “By engaging in the redistricting process before asking for voters to grant it the power to do so, the Legislature has exceeded its power under the Constitution.”
This legal effort coincided with Trump saying his Department of Justice will file a lawsuit against Newsom.
“Well, I think I’m going to be filing a lawsuit pretty soon and I think we’re going to be very successful in it,” Trump says on Monday. “We’re going to be filing it through the Department of Justice. That’s going to happen.”
