Newsom floats redistricting retribution if Texas GOP redraws its maps as midterm election approaches

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGO) -- With midterm elections approaching, governmental leaders crossed the state are sharpening strategies to clasp oregon flip cardinal legislature seats - and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is signaling a imaginable displacement successful redistricting argumentation if Texas redraws its maps to favour Republicans.

Gov. Newsom has started to dependable his vexation implicit what says is simply a partisan powerfulness grab.

In an interrogation with wide quality outlet, The Tennessee Holler, Newsom said Republicans are "playing by wholly antithetic acceptable of rules," suggesting his authorities mightiness request to rethink its ain "fair play" approach. On Thursday, the politician told wide quality outlet the Tennessee Holler that Republicans are playing by a "totally antithetic acceptable of rules," and suggested the California Legislature - which has a Democratic supermajority successful some chambers - could "gerrymander similar nary different state," if leaders halt "playing fair."

His comments followed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's announced plans for the GOP-controlled legislature to gully caller legislature maps successful a peculiar session. Typically, states gully caller maps each 10 years to relationship for colonisation changes accounted for successful the U.S. Census report. However, Texas is facing lawsuits implicit the districts legislators drew aft the 2020 census that allege the maps discriminate against Latino and Black voters.

"I saw what Gov. Abbott did contiguous ... These guys are not f---ing around," Newsom told the Tennesee Holler. "We've been playing just but it made maine question that full program. These guys are going to bash everything successful their powerfulness to support their power."

What is the quality betwixt redistricting and gerrymandering?

San Jose State University authorities prof Melinda Jackson explained the quality betwixt redistricting and gerrymandering.

"Redistricting is simply a process that is really mandated each 10 years aft the census successful bid to marque definite that the districts are evenly distributed," Jackson said. "We don't privation to person a territory that has 10 times arsenic galore radical arsenic the 1 adjacent door."

"Gerrymandering is the word we usage to picture districts that are drawn to vantage 1 radical oregon another," she said. "So adjacent though the extremity is to person astir adjacent colonisation successful the districts, wherever those territory lines are drawn tin sometimes get rather originative successful bid to effort to support communities unneurotic to springiness much vantage to 1 enactment successful the district."

In states similar Texas wherever lawmakers gully their ain maps, the effect tin pb to oddly shaped districts that Jackson says is intended to supply a enactment with a much comfy territory to triumph successful elections.

"Partisan gerrymandering has not been recovered to beryllium unconstitutional," Jackson said. "If that authorities legislature is chiefly liable for drafting the districts, there's an inducement to effort to springiness an vantage to their ain party."

Could Gov. Newsom get California to redraw its maps?

Though Newsom hinted that California whitethorn privation to reconsider its autarkic approach, making that alteration wouldn't beryllium easy.

Since the state's redistricting process is enshrined successful the California Constitution, voters would person to o.k. immoderate overhaul. The Legislature would request to suggest a caller law amendment that would person to beryllium approved by a two-thirds ballot successful some the Assembly and Senate. Voters archetypal signed disconnected connected the instauration of an autarkic committee with Prop 11 successful 2008.

"When the voters straight person a accidental successful something, the legislature can't conscionable override them," said Jackson. "It has to spell backmost to the voters."

Still, Jackson said Newsom's comments bespeak increasing Democratic vexation with what galore spot arsenic an uneven playing tract crossed the country.

California's existent redistricting strategy is wide seen arsenic a nationalist model. Since the commission's creation, Jackson said the authorities has seen much politically competitory districts, which she believes is healthier for democracy

The 14-member committee - made up of regular citizens who place arsenic Republican, Democrat, oregon Independent- is intentionally designed to exclude existent oregon erstwhile elected officials.

"I deliberation successful Governor Newsom's comments, what we're seeing is truly immoderate of the vexation connected the Democratic broadside about, you know, benignant of having a just playing tract successful presumption of these elections," Jackson said.