#redistricting

Reward if you read the whole post: democracy; pictures at bottom of cats high as clouds on fresh catnip toys.

What Prop 50 does:

Prop 50 temporarily rearranges California Congressional districts to "create" up to 5 new left-leaning districts.

This will last through the 2030 elections, after which our independent, politically neutral redistricting commission will resume its work (based on the 2030 census).

Why YES?

Prop 50 will balance the Republicans' attempt to skew Congress in their favor.

CONTEXT: This summer, at the urging of Trump, Texas's legislature redrew their Congressional map to "create" (flip) 5 new right-leaning districts. Texas Democrats literally left the state en masse to postpone it! In that delay, CA's Gov. Newsom said, "If you do that, California will counter you" - it's literally written into Prop 50 that this will go into effect if TX goes forward with its plan.

TX didn't hesitate. It will have 5 new right-wing districts in 2026. That would, at best, make the House 224 Republican to 208 Democrat. We need to hit back.

"But that's just sinking to their level!" Yes, I, too, literally cannot believe that deliberate political gerrymandering is legal. It's blatantly undemocratic in principle. However, aren't you tired of winning the moral high ground and nothing else?

I'm afraid it's that "lesser evil" thing again - but this REALLY is the lesser evil. Ultimately, redistricting causes no direct harm - it's what the people who get elected do that causes harm. We Californians will still vote for our best representatives, and they'll be more progressive (on average) than before! Whereas it's very, very clear that Republicans in Congress do cause harm, in enabling Trump's ICE raids and attacks on free speech, legislating their own Medicare cuts and handouts to billionaires...

This isn't "but they started it!" hair-pulling; this self-defense, for American democracy and for everyone whom a Trump/Republican-controlled federal government will hurt.

Also, that motherfucker mobilized the California National Guard without the California Governor's permission, and sent Marines into Los Angeles, and is kidnapping people off the street and withholding aid for wildfires while insulting our attempts to manage them (which aren't perfect, but hey), and is generally, y'know, hurting people nationwide and undermining key foundations of civil society in service to his own ego, and I'm Californian and I'm FUCKING PISSED. We are the 4th biggest economy in the WORLD (recently passed Japan!) and we will KICK YOU IN THE FUCKING TEETH in defense of democracy, our people, and everyone else in this stupid country!!!

Newsom & the CA legislature have drawn the maps and made the plans. All you have to do is vote YES this November - then vote for your new Representative in Nov 2026! Remember, we get to overthrow our government every other year, and it's both a right and a privilege!

AND it's only temporary! The Democrats still stand for independent, apolitical district-drawing commissions. This is a temporary emergency measure which will end in 2030.

More References:

Text of Prop 50

Helpful breakdown of context, arguments, and explicit & potential consequences from CaliforniaToday.com

REGISTER TO VOTE IN CALIFORNIA! Registration deadline for this vote is October 20. (Election is 11/4.)

PROMISED PICS OF CATS HIGH AF ON FRESH ‘NIP: