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San Francisco
Live Stream

Prop. 50 Explained: What’s at Stake for California . . . and Congress

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In August, after Texas acceded to President Donald Trump’s demand that it adopt a redistricting plan favoring Republicans, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would fight back. He signed legislation creating Prop. 50, which asks voters to suspend California’s independent redistricting maps and allow the legislature to draw new districts. "Today, we gave every Californian the opportunity to stop Trump by saying yes to our people, to our state, and to American democracy," Newsom said at the time. 

Supporters say the plan is a temporary but critical defense against partisan mapmaking in other states. They argue that California must step in to protect democracy nationwide and pledge that the state will restore its independent redistricting process after 2030. 

Critics, who include former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, contend the proposal undermines the state’s voter-approved redistricting reforms, restoring the same partisan gerrymandering that California has banned. 

“We know American democracy is on fire, but accelerating gerrymandering only adds fuel!,” a No-on-50 ballot argument states. “[Prop. 50] claims to protect democracy, yet diminishes our communities’ voices and is ineffective against any overreach of presidential power.” 

With voting already underway, join us to learn more about Prop. 50 and what’s at stake for California and control of Congress.

Notes

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Thu, Oct 16 / 11:00 AM PDT

Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

Speakers
Image - Cynthia Dai

Cynthia Dai

Rotating Chair, First California Citizens Redistricting Commission 

Trena Turner

Member, California Citizens Redistricting Commission

Image - Eric McGhee

Eric McGhee

Policy Director and Senior Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California

Image - Dustin Gardiner

Dustin Gardiner

Co-author, Politico’s California Playbook

Format

10:30 a.m. doors open & check-in
11 a.m.–12 p.m. program
(all times Pacific TIme)

COST

In-person:
Free for members
$10 nonmembers
Online:
Free for members
$5 nonmembers