Gavin Newsom is taking action against Republicans.
After Texas Democratic representatives fled the state to stop right-wing politicians from trying to enact controversial redistricting legislation, the California Governor made it clear that he's a proponent of independent redistricting and a national framework. He also revealed that a proposal supporting his views is being advanced in the legislature.
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"The proposal that we're advancing with the legislature has a trigger only if they move forward, to dismantling the protocols that are well-established," Newsom explained during a press conference. "Would the state of California move forward in kind? Fighting? Yes, fire with fire."
When the liberal politician was questioned on whether Democrats had drafted redistricting maps, Newsom admitted he hadn't seen any plans but noted that people in the party were continuing to talk about how to respond to conservatives.
"That process has to have the concurrence, the support of two-thirds of the legislature," Newsom said. "The maps, we believe, should be transparent. They should be provided in a transparent way to the public and as a consequence, those maps are being processed and will be brought to light."
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The 57-year-old pointed out how it's vital that the people of California have their say in the matter if they have to pull the trigger. "We will offer them the opportunity to make judgments for themselves, again, only if Texas moves forward," Newsom said. "I'll reinforce that we believe it should be a national model, independent national redistricting and it would revert back to its original form, but it's done in response to the existential realities that we're now facing. Things have changed, facts have changed, so we must change."
"They've triggered this response and we're not going to roll over and we're going to fight fire with fire, but we're going to do so not just punching with the weight of the fourth largest economy, the most populous state in our union, the size of 21 state populations combined," he said. "We also will punch above our weight in terms of the impact of what we're doing and I think that should be absorbed by those in the Texas delegation. Whatever they are doing will be neutered here in the state of California and they will pay that price."
California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin responded to Newsom's plans, claiming the move could challenge Californians' constitutional rights.
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"While Governor Newsom frames this redistricting as a defensive move, it undermines California's nationally respected, voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission and if successful, sets a dangerous precedent that voters' choices can be overruled whenever politicians find it politically convenient," she said. "Our primary concern is safeguarding Californians' constitutional rights against partisan manipulation disguised as defending democracy; true democracy means empowering voters, not politicians, to decide representation."
When multiple Democratic politicians escaped the state of Texas to block a redistricting vote, the southern state's Governor Greg Abbott threatened to arrest and expel the lawmakers if they do not return.
One of Texas' left-wing representatives Julie Johnson called the situation the start of a "national war" and "an all-out war" on democracy with Donald Trump at the helm. "We come from a state of great pride and I never thought as a Texan, as an elected member of the Texas House of Representatives and now as an elected member from Texas to the United States House of Representatives, that I would see the governor of the proud state of Texas bend a knee to a felon from New York," she said. "I never thought I'd see the day, but here we are."