Petition argues Democrats illegally “gutted and amended” bills to rush through a constitutional amendment overriding California’s voter-approved redistricting commission.
Four California Republican lawmakers have filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court to block Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats from fast-tracking a controversial redistricting plan they call the Election Rigging Response Act (ERRA).
The petition, filed August 18 by State Sens. Tony Strickland and Suzette Valladares, along with Assemblymembers Tri Ta and Kathryn Sanchez, accuse Democrats of violating Article IV, Section 8(a) of the California Constitution, which requires a 30-day public review period for new legislation. The lawmakers are represented by the Dhillon Law Group, a firm known for its election law challenges.
“California is not Texas, and we have established the gold standard for a Citizens Redistricting Commission that should serve as a national model.” Senator Strickland stated in a press release. “I am deeply concerned that the governor and his Democratic allies may push through redistricting plans lacking the transparency and public input our democratic process demands.”
At the center of the dispute is Newsom’s plan to override the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, created by voters in 2008 to end partisan gerrymandering. Under the ERRA, the Legislature would temporarily take control of drawing California’s congressional maps through 2030, a move Democrats to justify as a counter to Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas, Florida, and other states.
Instead of introducing a new bill, Democrats “gutted and amended” two unrelated measures–AB 604 and SB 280–replacing their content with ERRA. Republicans argue this tactic “thwarts” the public’s right to review legislation, reducing the 30-day publication rule to nothing more than a bill number on paper.
“This is nothing more than a partisan redistricting scam,” said Carl Demaio, chairman of Reform California, in support of the lawsuit. “By concocting this scheme, Gavin Newsom and Democrat politicians are openly violating the California Constitution and their oath of office,” DeMaio told KCRA and the San Francisco Chronicle.
The petition calls the maneuver a direct attempt to “circumvent a constitutional right of the people to adequate time to review proposed legislation” and asks the Court to block any action on ERRA until September 18, 2025, when the 30-day waiting period expires.
Newsom and Democratic leaders have defended the plan as a necessary safeguard against what they call an “election-rigging scheme” by Republicans at the national level. But Republicans argue California voters deliberately removed redistricting from the hands of politicians to restore fairness—and that Democrats are now undoing that safeguard for partisan gain.
The Court is being asked to act before August 22, when the Secretary of State’s office is expected to certify deadlines for the November 2025 special election tied to ERRA.
If granted, the injunction would freeze legislative action on the measure and preserve the public’s right to review one of the most consequential redistricting changes in state history.
