FRESNO, CA (KMJ) Assemblyman David Tangipa is suing after the passage of Prop. 50. The Clovis republican announced the federal lawsuit Wednesday morning at a press conference alleging the redistricting plan is unconstitutional and violates the 14th and 15th amendments.
Tangipa’s lawsuit contends that California failed to meet the Supreme Court test required to justify the creation of VRA districts. According to the suit:
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The state does not have a majority population controlling the electorate, meaning no single minority group meets the legal threshold to necessitate a VRA district.
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Analysis concluded there was no remedy needed for a disadvantaged voting bloc, data show that voters from protected classes are already electing candidates of their choice under existing conditions.
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California cannot satisfy the Supreme Court’s test for VRA districts, the state’s justification for imposing new district boundaries under Proposition 50 fails to meet constitutional standards.
“The people of California deserve fair maps drawn by law, not by politics,” said Tangipa. “Prop 50 is an unconstitutional power grab that manipulates congressional boundaries for partisan gain under the false pretense of protecting voting rights. The data and the law are clear, California does not meet the requirements to justify VRA districts, and the maps must be struck down. It’s time we end our toxic relationship with Gavin Newsom.”
Despite concerns about its constitutionality, Prop. 50 easily passed in Tuesday’s special election.
Gov. Newsom at a Tuesday evening presser said: “We organized in an unprecedented way, in a 90-day sprint. … We stood firm in response to (President) Donald Trump’s recklessness. And tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared with an unprecedented turnout, in a special election with an extraordinary result.”
President Trump jumped into the fray recently calling Prop. 50 unconstitutional and a “giant scam.”
Tangipa is joined in the lawsuit alongside the California Republican Party and more than a dozen voters. They are represented by the Dhillon Law Group.
