00:09I rise to present ACA 8 on behalf of Speaker Rivas.
00:13Let me be crystal clear.
00:15We don't want this fight, and we didn't choose this fight, but with our democracy on the
00:20line, we cannot and will not run away from this fight.
00:25We're here today because President Trump and Republicans in Texas and other states are
00:29attempting to redraw congressional districts mid-decade in an effort to rig the upcoming
00:34election.
00:36Just last night, the Texas House passed their plan to rig the 2026 election.
00:41Earlier yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis demanded that his state is owed an extra congressional
00:48district right now.
00:51And you know that Trump will do everything he can to fulfill this outrageous request.
00:57Republicans and Californians deserve better, and ACA 8, the Election-Rigging Response Act,
01:01is our response to these undemocratic and un-American power grabs.
01:06ACA 8 allows for the temporary use of voter-approved congressional district boundaries contained in
01:13AB 604.
01:14Unlike Texas, where Republican politicians rammed through maps after assigning law enforcement
01:20to trail their Democrat colleagues, every movement…
01:24Excuse me, Mr. Berman.
01:26By all means.
01:27Assemblymember Patterson, state your point of order.
01:29Yes.
01:30Hi.
01:31The…
01:32Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
01:33Good morning.
01:34State your point of order, sir.
01:35Yes.
01:36We have been admonished for mentioning parties on…
01:40Mr. Patterson, state your point of order.
01:45There's no explanation needed.
01:47What is the rule that is being violated?
01:51Your rule that a person speaking may not mention political parties.
01:55I ask that the author no longer do that.
02:00That is not a rule of this body.
02:02That is a rule of decorum.
02:04The issue with this particular measure affects political parties.
02:08We are going to allow that today.
02:10What I spoke with earlier was simply that you should not impugn the motives of your colleagues.
02:17Mr. Berman, you may continue.
02:19Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
02:21As I was saying, unlike Texas, where Republican politicians rammed through maps after assigning
02:27law enforcement to trail their Democrat colleagues every movement, it is California voters who will
02:33have the final say whether or not these new district boundaries get used.
02:38Because here in California, we respect the will of the voters.
02:42After the 2030 Census, ACA 8 returns all congressional district line drawing powers back to the Citizens
02:49Redistricting Commission.
02:51In addition, ACA 8 calls on Congress to pass legislation and propose a constitutional amendment
02:58to the U.S. Constitution to require the use of fair, independent, and nonpartisan redistricting
03:04in every state across the country.
03:06Now, here are some of the arguments we will hear from our colleagues from across the aisle
03:11today.
03:12First, this was decided by voters who were eligible to vote in 2010, and we don't need
03:18to revisit it.
03:20At least half of the voter registration file is totally new in 2025.
03:25Over 10 million California voters who did not have the chance to vote on this and have
03:30their voices heard in 2010.
03:32Now, you might be wondering, who does that include?
03:34We've got a couple of people on the floor today.
03:38My Republican colleagues from Tulare and Clovis, my Democrat colleagues from San Jose and L.A.
03:43None of them were old enough to vote on this in 2010, and I think they should get the chance
03:48to vote on it this year.
03:52They will claim that this costs too much money.
03:54First, there is no cost too high to save our democracy.
03:59Second, the return on investment of this election is off the charts, something that would make
04:04the VCs in my district blush.
04:08Trump and his cronies have terrorized our communities.
04:11They have targeted our world-class institutions, trying to extract $1 billion from UCLA alone.
04:17They have decimated local economies.
04:20They have even extorted California-grown businesses like NVIDIA.
04:25And I have not heard one complaint from any colleague from across the aisle to these actions
04:31that have cost California billions and billions of dollars.
04:36They'll argue that there's no urgency to act.
04:38Wake up!
04:40The crisis is here and our democracy is under attack.
04:45President Trump is taking advice on our democracy from Vladimir Putin, someone who literally kills his political opponents.
04:54And he's not even trying to be quiet about this.
04:57He's bragging about this on national television, as if it's something to be proud of.
05:03This is the same guy who called elections officials in Georgia and demanded they find him 12,000 votes so he could win the state and stay in the White House.
05:12This is someone who earnestly talks about the possibility of serving a third term as President of the United States.
05:21And now, realizing that his policies are terribly unpopular and that voters will have a chance to express their opposition next year,
05:30he's now trying to rig the election to inoculate himself from the will of the voters and hold on to power.
05:37Now, this wouldn't be a problem if any Republican elected officials had a spine, like the Georgia elections officials did in 2020,
05:45to say, no, Mr. President, this is un-American, this is undemocratic, this is wrong,
05:50and we will not participate in your steamrolling of democracy.
05:56But that Republican elected official no longer exists.
05:59When it comes between standing up for your constituents, saving their health care, saving their food assistance,
06:05saving their fathers or daughters from being snatched off the streets by masked and unidentified thugs
06:11and flown to torture chambers in foreign countries, or basking in the orange glow of Mar-a-Lago,
06:17Republican politicians in California don't give it a second thought.
06:22They drop to their knees and they do whatever Donald Trump tells them to.
06:27There is currently no check on Trump in Washington, only sycophants who clap like seals at the circus.
06:34Please.
06:36Assemblymember Gallagher, you are recognized.
06:39The gentleman is, if I can call him a gentleman, is impugning the character of people on this floor,
06:46which you already admonished him and everyone in this room not to do.
06:50So maybe somebody will regulate, you know, that decorum.
06:53Assemblymember Gallagher, your point is well taken.
06:56Members, please be careful in your speech not to impugn the motives of other members.
07:04Mr. Berman, you may continue.
07:06Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
07:07There is currently no check on Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.
07:12Only people who do whatever he demands that they do, but not here, not in California.
07:20California is responding to this emergency by empowering our voters with transparency, with
07:26respect for our independent commission, but with an unwavering will to act.
07:31I respectfully request your aye vote on ACAA.
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