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Jeanne Raya is the head of an insurance agency and lives in San Gabriel. She was the chair of California’s first independent redistricting commission.
In 2008, the Voters First Act created California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission, an independent body consisting of people who reflected the state’s diversity. Good government groups pushed the ballot measure forward, seeking to make sure voters were — as the law’s name declared — put first. I served on the first commission two years later.
Voter approval of an independent commission effectively ended the backroom partisan gerrymandering that characterized redistricting in California for decades.
Commission members spent nearly a year drawing new maps, giving citizens access to more than 100 public meetings and different ways to submit written comments. Voters could describe their communities, their environment, their infrastructure and their economy. This gave the commission a picture of the whole of California and helped it create districts that gave voters a fair chance at electing accountable representatives.
California’s commission is now considered the gold standard for U.S. redistricting, free of partisan self-interest and conducted fully in public view.
If only Texas could learn from California. There, lawmakers adopted new maps in August in an attempt to rig the 2026 election in favor of Republicans — at the behest of President Donald Trump. Their actions represent the basest motivations of politicians so fearful of losing power, all they can think to do is cheat.
Their determination to stack the congressional deck prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to pursue retaliatory mid-cycle redistricting in California to elect more Democrats. It’s now in the hands of voters in a special election on Nov. 4. Proposition 50 would replace the maps drawn by the state’s independent commission with districts drawn by legislators solely to gain or protect Democratic seats. And that protection will extend through three election cycles.
That is hardly a temporary change.
As a registered Democrat, I would celebrate replacing members of Congress who have forgotten their oath to serve constituents and protect the Constitution. But it can’t be at the expense of California’s Constitution — nor its voters who mandated fair, nonpartisan redistricting.
Newsom said the move by Texas Republicans justifies a retaliatory strike. But we witness daily the chaos and mistrust created by revenge politics in Washington. That is not the model of responsible government Californians deserve. Nor do Californians want to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to gamble that different congressional districts will produce the sought-after change, while real problems remain unaddressed.
No one knows the magic number of blue seats needed to win this electoral war, especially as more red states jump in beside Texas. Is the governor willing to risk losing incumbents in more competitive California districts? Will he accept failure if Democrats fall short nationwide?
This is not an unprecedented moment. We’ve seen for decades how partisan gerrymandering suppresses voters’ choice, undermining trust and feeding cynicism. We know that once given power, politicians will fight to retain it with the confidence that a declaration of crisis is all the cover they need.
Newsom should look for a different response to redistricting warfare.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, for example, proposed legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting nationwide. I don’t know what brought Kiley, a Placer County Republican, to this moment. Perhaps it’s self-preservation under the threat of being gerrymandered out of his seat. But considering a national solution to a national problem would be a welcome undertaking.
Newsom says Democrats can take back Congress if the American people are given a fair chance, a voice and a choice. In California, the people already have that chance, and it’s the independent redistricting commission.
Californians can send a clear message to Newsom and legislative leaders on Nov. 4 to respect the will of the people and not sacrifice the independent redistricting commission, nor the state’s limited financial resources, for short-term political gain.
This article first appeared in CalMatters here.
It appears likely that Adventist health is going to close the Ukiah and Saint Helena hospitals due to the Republicans Medicaid and Medicare cuts. Tired of winning yet?
Not yet. 3 more years to go. Perhaps if the Adventist hospitals identified and then removed the illegal aliens from general care, the hospitals could continue to operate and better serve our local citizens. (Note: “The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the Biden Administration’s open borders agenda, which sought to provide Medicaid-funded emergency services to illegal aliens, has cost Federal and state taxpayers more than $16.2 billion.”) That’s getting fixed.
Wondering if there’s something wrong with your head or your brains are just scrambled by the other media agencies. This is not going to happen regardless of what you think and if you want to try to push that agenda on us you’re not going to have very much power. I do notice that you’re not even from our County or area picture from near the city. You have absolutely nothing to do with our hospitals Medicaid or Medicare here and the only cuts that will be being made by the Republicans are to get illegals off of our Medicaid and Medicare programs. Why are you trying to mislead the public with the trash you just put out? This is not true and it’s ridiculous that you would even speak that without knowing what you’re talking about. Governor Gavin Newsom brought in many many illegals into our state and it took over our Medicare and Medicaid programs and then there wasn’t enough money for actual residents because of this. You are sadly misinformed and what I really hate is news people like you misinforming the public so get your facts straight before you stop spreading lies that comes out of Governor Gavin newsom’s mouth because that’s everything when he opens his mouth. Do your real job!
Dave and Marcia.
You DO understand that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid (MediCal), Medicare, or ACA credits by law… right?
Emergency room service is required for ANYONE, regardless of insurance. That was signed into law by Ronald Reagan.
Removing the ACA credits will increase EVERY MediCal premium by at least $740 per month! This doesn’t include the insurance company’s increase due to the decline in participation because of affordability.
Prop 50 is a temporary measure that attempts to counteract the actions by Texas to redistrict their state to acquire 5 more seats. This is California stepping up to help the nation from what you are complaining about.
Please vote.
Please vote yes on Prop 50.
Migrant labor contributes roughly 5% of CA’s GDP and contributes another $23 B in taxes. That is only Ca’s economy. Don’t get me started on all social security taxes migrants pay and don’t receive any of the benefits.
Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken….
Thank you Governor Newsom for allowing us the right to exercise our will by having Prop 50 on the November ballot; thank you for caring about Californians.
My feeling is if Prop 50 doesn’t pass then democrats won’t have to ever worry about gerrymandering anyway because our vote won’t ever matter again. These are not normal times.
Prop 50 seeks to exclude a disproportionate amount of voters from equal representation. That is not what Californians should stand for.
No on Prop 50.
If the words ‘equity’ and ‘inclusion’ are to hold any real meaning, voting NO on Prop 50 is the only way to vote.
Prop 50 seeks to disenfranchise entire groups of people.
Everyone universally hates gerrymandering. Californians voted to create a system to take the power to gerrymander away from biased politicians who would always abuse that power.
Prop 50 seeks to return that bit of authoritarian manipulation into the hands of wholly partisan politicians.
It is a clear NO vote.
Prop 50 is intended to be a temporary measure with an expiration date. If you want to see more of what is coming out of congress right then by all means vote no. Today’s Republican party is a minority. Yet it wields majority power by continuously gerrymandering and taking advantage of any loophole conceivable, legal or otherwise. As a US citizen who, like the majority of this country, ever want to experience a fair and free election again in our lifetime, I suggest you vote yes on Prop 50. It may already be too late but it is at least an effort to balance the corrupt nature of our current regime. To be clear, I am not a Democrat nor a Republican. I find our either, or system to be distasteful at it’s core. Prop 50 should be voted on based on patriotism and basic survival of what’s left of our now non representative government.