Prop 50 debate continues ahead of special election

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing Proposition 50, a measure that would allow the state to gerrymander districts as a counteraction to recent changes in Texas.

Proposition 50 comes in response to Texas's decision to gerrymander five Democratic-leaning districts into Republican-leaning ones, a move that has sparked controversy and debate over fair representation in Congress.

"This is a moral defense about an outrage that has happened in Texas and could potentially grow in other states," said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, congresswoman.

"We should vote 'no' on Prop 50 and condemn what other states do," said Carl DeMaio, an assemblyman from the 75th district.

At a rally opposing Proposition 50, DeMaio urged his supporters to reject what he sees as California's misguided reaction to Texas's gerrymandering.

"Don't do the wrong thing thinking it will lead to the right thing," DeMaio stated.

Proposition 50 is written to sunset in 2030. Democrats argue that they were compelled to propose such a measure due to the actions taken by Texas Republicans in the broader struggle for control of the House of Representatives.

As the debate over Proposition 50 continues, Californians are faced with the decision of whether to adopt similar tactics to those used in Texas or to reject gerrymandering altogether. The outcome of this vote could have significant implications for the political landscape in both California and the nation.

FOX 5's Jaime Chambers contributed to this report.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.