'California Will Not Sit By Idly': Newsom Amps Up Gerrymandering Threats

Forbes Breaking News

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) held a press conference alongside state Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-CA) to give updates on his state's effort to gerrymander in response to a push by President Trump to gerrymander Texas.

Transcript

00:00We're hearing that California Democrats have a draft or almost are done with the draft of these maps.

00:06Have you been in conversations with leadership about this? Have you seen the maps?

00:09And of course, this would end up going through the legislation.

00:11I haven't seen the maps, but we helped initiate those conversations.

00:15My team were part of those conversations last night.

00:18They've been an ongoing series of conversations that continued into the evening,

00:22continued this morning, and will continue until we land on a process.

00:30That process has to have the concurrence, the support of two-thirds of the legislature.

00:36The maps, we believe, should be transparent.

00:39They should be provided in a transparent way to the public.

00:43And as a consequence, those maps are being processed and will be brought to light.

00:49I have not had the opportunity, nor am I getting in the details of what those maps look like.

00:54I'll allow more objective minds to do just that.

00:57But the ultimate determination will be by the people of the state of California.

01:01We will offer them the opportunity to make judgment for themselves, again, only if Texas moves forward.

01:08We would maintain the framework of the Independent Redistricting Commission that I support, that I believe in.

01:16We would just allow for this mid-census redistricting to occur just for congressional maps in 26, 28, and 30.

01:26It would also state, as I said a moment ago, and I'll reinforce, that we believe it should be national model,

01:33independent national redistricting, and it would revert back to its original form.

01:37But it's done in response to the existential realities that we're now facing.

01:45Things have changed.

01:48Facts have changed.

01:49So we must change.

01:52I think it's in the spirit of Lincoln's infamous second inaugural.

01:57We have to disenthrall ourselves so we can save this country.

02:01We've got to think anew.

02:02We've got to act anew.

02:04Things have changed.

02:06We're reacting to that change.

02:09They've triggered this response, and we're not going to roll over, and we're going to fight fire with fire.

02:15But we're going to do so not just punching with the weight of the fourth largest economy,

02:19the most populous state in our union, the size of 21 state populations combined,

02:24but we also will punch above our weight in terms of the impact of what we're doing.

02:31And I think that should be absorbed by those in the Texas delegation.

02:39Whatever they are doing will be neutered here in the state of California,

02:43and they will pay that price, and we believe public opinion is with our approach.

02:51And I appreciate the growing recognition in other states of other governors of like mind

02:59and the people of this country recognizing what's at stake.

03:03These folks don't play by the rules.

03:08If they can't win playing the game with the existing set of rules, they'll change the rules.

03:14That's what Donald Trump has done.

03:16He's dialing for seats.

03:19Familiar?

03:19Because he dialed for votes in the last election.

03:22Here's someone who tried to break this country, tried to light democracy on fire on January 6th.

03:29He recognizes he's going to lose in the midterms,

03:33and we have the opportunity to de facto end the Trump presidency in less than 18 months.

03:41That's what's at stake, and that's why we're putting a stake in the ground.

03:45We're not drawing lines to draw lines.

03:47We're holding the line on democracy, on the rule of law, co-equal branches of government, popular sovereignty.

03:56That's what this is about.

03:57Could you invite Texas Democrats who are breaking form to come to California?

04:01They were told we would support them in any way,

04:04and I was with them, as you know, last week at the governor's match.

04:07Governor, separately from what you're doing here in California,

04:10are you planning on making any investments in Texas to stop the match?

04:15Well, we're going to do what we can to resource and support them,

04:19but our focus is here on California.

04:22Should Californians be prepared to go to the polls in November for a special election?

04:26Well, it's cause and effect.

04:28It's triggered on the basis of what occurs or doesn't occur in Texas.

04:32I hope they do the right thing,

04:34and if they do the right thing, then there'll be no cause for us to have to move forward.

04:39But again, we're working with the legislature on a trigger that if they do move forward,

04:45California will not sit by idly and watch this democracy waste away.

04:48We'll fight fire with fire, we'll assert ourselves, and we'll punch above our weight,

04:52and it will have profound impacts on the national outcome, not just here in the state of California.

04:58I appreciate it's already led to some members of our delegation now calling for independent redistricting.

05:03That's an encouraging sign.

05:05So already, perhaps, people are waking up to the reality of California entering into this conversation.

05:12We're not a small state.

05:14Again, we punch above our weight.

05:16It will have profound national implications if we move forward,

05:22and I'm confident if we move forward, the people of this great state will support this effort.

05:26If California moves forward with a special election for this mid-decade redistricting effort,

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended