A federal court effectively voided Texas’ congressional redistricting plan and the decision is shaking the stated basis for California’s Proposition 50, which voters previously approved.
The ruling has also drawn attention to how it may affect Governor Gavin Newsom and California Democrats, who advanced their own redistricting effort while stating they would respond to Texas’ moves.
KCRA3 in Sacramento reported on November 18 that the original version of Proposition 50 included language saying California would implement its redistricting changes “only if Texas actually proceeds with its redistricting.”
Political analyst Chris Micheli said, “There were issues in the process of advancing Proposition 50, and the courts must review whether the new district map meets legal and constitutional requirements,” and added, “In fact, they (Democrats) redrew the districts based on minority populations, and this was a measure for Latino voters.”
The clause stating that California would act only if Texas moved forward was removed from the final version of Proposition 50. However, voter information materials, including the voter guide and ballot text, stated that the measure was proposed “in response to Texas’ attempt to redraw its districts.”
This indicates that if Texas’ justification was rejected in court, the rationale for advancing Proposition 50 in California may also be weakened.
The federal district court in Texas that issued the injunction ruled that “political factors influenced the drafting of the map” and that “there is substantial evidence that the districts were redrawn based on race, which is unconstitutional.”
After the ruling, Governor Newsom expressed support for the federal court’s decision but did not comment on how it may affect California.
The California Republican Party has already filed a lawsuit challenging Proposition 50, and the findings in Texas’ ruling may become a major point of contention as the case proceeds. The California Republican Party and the U.S. Department of Justice argue that Proposition 50 was designed to give Hispanic voters more influence, a structure similar to the issue raised in Texas, where the court found the redistricting plan favored a specific racial group.
Meanwhile, Texas immediately appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Governor Greg Abbott said the redistricting was meant to “more accurately reflect the conservative preferences of Texas residents,” disputing the court’s finding that the districts were redrawn based on race.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
