00:00Well, good afternoon. I want to take a moment to acknowledge Speaker Revis. I've said it before and I'm going to say it again and I'll continue to say it. He is one of the best in the nation. We are so grateful that he is helping lead California and I'm grateful to call him a partner and a friend. And thank you so much, Mr. Speaker, for all your work. I want to acknowledge the governor, the governor who has had the backbone to be able to stand up against Donald Trump.
00:30And I want to acknowledge the senators, the assembly members who have moved this historic legislation forward today. We are here this afternoon because we're putting our faith in our fellow Californians to do the sacred duty to walk into the voting booth, sit at their kitchen table and do their best to do the right thing.
00:59And we're going to pass their vote in one of the most consequential elections that we will have in our lifetime. And let's be honest. Let's get through the rhetoric. We all know we wouldn't be here in this situation if it weren't for the nefarious actions of Republican leaders in Texas and their boss, Donald Trump, actions of Republicans in Texas that have now been compounded by inaction from Republicans in California.
01:29Let's be crystal clear. Let's be crystal clear. All of this, this entire circus could have been avoided.
01:36Let's be crystal clear. All of this, this entire circus could have been avoided, nullifying nearly a century of election protocols.
01:43We know that this is just the start. Redistricting is the first step in Donald Trump's playbook.
01:51He said the quiet part out loud earlier this week. They're coming after mail-in voting to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans.
02:03Next stop, the census.
02:09Our Republican colleagues, all this week here in California, Republican leaders have gone on TV, had press conferences, did live events on their social media, expressing outrage about the action that California is taking.
02:24But what they forgot to mention is how we got here. We got here because of Greg Abbott, Republican leaders in Texas and their boss, Donald Trump.
02:35They started all of this. And sometimes in life, you have to stand for the greater good, even though you may lose your job as an elected leader.
02:45Sometimes you have to tell your boss, no. You have to do something constructive, do everything in your power to ensure free and fair elections.
02:56And that's what Democrats did today here in California. And certainly you have to do more than vote against redistricting reforms the way Republicans have year after year after year.
03:08Their votes are public. They have voted against the vast majority of independent redistricting reforms advanced in this legislature over this past decade.
03:20You know, it is offensive to be able to see these sham lawsuits that Republican leaders in California are advancing.
03:27We called it the Scaramucci of the lawsuits in the last 48 hours. The Supreme Court rejected it.
03:34And it's offensive because their brethren, their brethren are literally tracking elected leaders with state troopers, calling in the FBI,
03:46locking legislators in the chambers and dragging a female legislator out of the bathroom just simply because she didn't have permission to go.
03:57And the Supreme Court Vens came in the search for one of the most important, she was part of the fear of being a supporter of the security guard.
04:03Here is I think all of our concern. We have seen this story play out in history. The hypocrisy today may save them for today, but it won't save their hides tomorrow because the secret police and the Mar-a-Lago goons, they are going to find a way and a reason to come after them as well.
04:25Democratic mayors and leaders across this nation.
04:30All of us support independent redistricting here in California and every state in this union.
04:36One thing that we do not support is unilateral disarmament when the fairness of the 2026 election is being threatened.
04:44You know, other states may want to play games.
04:47California is the only state committed to fairness whose potential redistricting goes away the minute others drop theirs.
04:54I'm going to end it right here with this.
04:57Today was more than drawing lines on a map.
05:01It was about drawing a line in the sand to stop Texas, to stop Donald Trump from rigging this election.
05:10And the stakes are so high for California.
05:15Millions are going to lose health care.
05:17Our families will lose health care.
05:19Our fire assistance will continue to be leveraged for millions across this state.
05:25People are going to continue to be snatched up off the street.
05:28Public education funding is going to dry up.
05:31And the governor, the governor will talk about a recent Supreme Court ruling that's going to hurt this state for years to come.
05:39One of the main reasons I think I voted for today is because this package of bills, the person that's going to be impacted the most, is going to be waiting for me tonight at our kitchen table to tell me about his first week of school.
05:58My son, four and a half, started TK this week.
06:01Today's vote, regardless of what Republicans may say, today's vote is not about politics.
06:10Today's vote is about protecting people.
06:12It's about protecting the state, protecting our progress in everything that we stand for.
06:18It's about protecting the future, ensuring fairness and trusting the voters.
06:23And I want to take a moment to say thank you to Governor Gavin Newsom for his leadership, for his tenacity, for his backbone.
06:31Can we please give him a round of applause?
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