“Committees and organizations opposing Proposition 50 raised and spent tens of millions of dollars. Proposition 50 passed by nearly 29 percentage points. Nearly one year later, California Republicans deserve a simple answer: What happened?”

California’s Prop 50 lets lawmakers redraw congressional maps. The lawsuit against Gavin Newsom alleges racial gerrymandering to create Hispanic districts, violating Equal Protection and the Voting Rights Act. Plaintiffs and DOJ say race predominated over neutral criteria in redistricting in violation of the civil rights of California residents.

California must require a two-thirds supermajority of all registered voters for any constitutional amendment to ensure broad consensus, protect fundamental rights like reproductive freedom and marriage equality, and prevent changes by slim majorities or low turnout.

Across the country, high-stakes chess games are being played out and the pieces are us. While the media frames every move as a fight for “democracy,” the truth is more troubling. Politicians on both sides are manipulating voters, rewriting rules, and weaponizing redistricting. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50 isn’t a defense against that game; it’s another move in it.