California Republicans reportedly launched a new legal battle Monday against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to overhaul congressional maps, filing a petition with the state Supreme Court to block Proposition 50 from reaching the November ballot.
“As our petition to the Supreme Court, filed an hour ago, says, they broke the rules in multiple ways,” said Mike Columbo, a partner at Dhillon Law Group, speaking at a press conference alongside GOP lawmakers. “One, they combined two unrelated subjects into one measure, forcing voters into an illegal take-it-or-leave-it choice on two separate subjects.”
The petition argues that Democrats in Sacramento have sought to bypass long-standing constitutional requirements by rushing through a plan that would let the Legislature reclaim powers specifically entrusted to California’s independent citizens’ redistricting commission.
“Two, the constitutional provisions in force now say that redistricting has to be done by the independent citizens commissions,” Columbo continued. “By engaging in the redistricting process already before asking for voters to grant it the power to do so, the Legislature has exceeded its power under the Constitution.” He also cited what he described as troubling issues of timing and transparency, pointing to a process that critics say was designed more to help Democrats secure power than to serve voters.
The petition marks the second time in as many weeks that California Republicans have asked the state’s highest court to intervene.
Last week, GOP legislators filed suit to block a rushed vote on the redistricting package, arguing the move violated state constitutional rules. The state court rejected that request on Wednesday, clearing the way for Democrats to advance their plan through the Legislature.
But Republicans are undeterred. Monday’s filing revisits the argument that the process was unconstitutional and asks the court to stop the measure before voters even have a chance to weigh in.
Among those joining the petition are Assembly members Kate Sanchez and Tri Ta, as well as state Senators Suzette Martinez Valladares and Tony Strickland.
The suit specifically names Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber as a respondent. According to a copy of the 400-page filing shared with Bloomberg Law, Republicans argue the integrity of California’s redistricting process is at stake.
Last week, Democrats muscled through a three-part legislative package that sets up a special election on Nov. 4. If Proposition 50 is approved, the measure would give Democrats sweeping new authority to redraw congressional lines, a move supporters cast as a response to GOP-friendly redistricting in Texas.
For Republicans, however, the move represents a clear attempt by Democrats to tilt the political playing field. They contend that Newsom and his allies are undermining California’s independent redistricting system, created to insulate the process from partisan manipulation.
The petition reflects a broader frustration among California Republicans, who argue that one-party rule in Sacramento has increasingly blurred the line between governance and raw political power. By turning to the courts, they hope to preserve not just constitutional safeguards but also the principle that voters deserve a fair process — not a gerrymandered map engineered to entrench Democratic dominance.
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