The California Supreme Court, where Democratic appointees hold a six-to-one majority, has rejected a Republican challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts.
In its decision Wednesday, the court allowed Democrats in the legislature to bypass the state’s 30-day waiting period for new proposals by using a procedural tactic that lets lawmakers replace the text of an existing bill with new language.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the ruling clears the way for Newsom and Democratic lawmakers to push forward with a redistricting effort aimed at securing five additional congressional seats. The court dismissed the Republican lawsuit in a short order, offering little explanation.
Typically, California law requires that a proposal sit for 30 days before lawmakers can act on it. But Democrats relied on the long-standing “gut and amend” practice — taking a bill already past the 30-day mark, removing its contents, and inserting the new redistricting plan.
The legislature is now expected to approve the map and place it before voters in a November special election, projected to cost more than $200 million. This plan would replace the independent, voter-mandated redistricting process established in 2008. Newsom has said the move is in response to Texas, which recently redrew its congressional lines to favor Republicans.
Still, a nationwide wave of redistricting battles could ultimately benefit Republicans overall, since Democrats have already maximized partisan maps in the states they control and have fewer GOP-held districts left to target.
