Mainstream media absent on plans to gerrymander California

September 5, 2025

San Luis Obispo County Colab Greg HaskinOPINION by GREG HASKIN

An enormously important issue is before California voters and will be decided in just two months, yet it is unlikely that you will read or hear much about it, or at least any significant details about it, from the mainstream media.

Proposition 50, called “Courage California” by its proponents will be on a statewide ballot on Nov. 4 of this year calling for a pure politically designed reapportionment (Gerrymandering) of our state. It has significant constitutional issues, breeches uncountable numbers of political and moral ethics and will dramatically shortchange hundreds of thousands of California’s voters in what is essentially a highly political rotten tomato toss at President Trump and the State of Texas from our Governor Gavin Newsom.

So, why is there such a shortage of reporting on an issue so big?

First, as most of us know, the mainstream media might possibly be biased and would be happy to see California cause any possible trouble for Congress or the president. Mainstream media knows that the less people are aware of it, the more likely it is to pass. Another key factor though is that redistricting is a buzz kill for the media.

Reapportionment is guaranteed to drown click bait potential.

One big  reason we won’t see much coverage is that even the most partisan democrats will be hard pressed to make a reasonable case for supporting Prop 50. We will see plenty of Kamala Harris style word salad explanations, but reporters know that’s not a good look.

Redistricting is technical and complex. It’s not appealing as a subject because even if one does a deep dive understanding it, almost nobody else cares and all that knowledge turns out to be useless.  Everybody expects the party in power to manipulate new district boundaries to enhance their power base, and most people resent being expected to be fooled by the rhetoric.

Newsom is ignoring our state constitution which calls for redistricting to be done at the end of each decade. He is ignoring the mandate to create districts with equal numbers of residents. He is rejecting the work of the “independent redistricting commission”.

Newsom likes to make a big deal about how Prop 50 “reaffirms” the independent redistricting commission – whose work he is ignoring and negating. The commission would otherwise be just fine with the 2030 reapportionment regardless of this sanctimonious affirmation.

Newsom is leaving Republican voters in California with only 9% representation in congress from our state, despite being nearly 40% of the voting population of California.

It doesn’t take courage to throw a political tantrum, ignore election rules, disregard voters and twist the situation around to esuriently weaponize our election system.

All of this in the name of fairness and “saving democracy”.

The Prop 50 campaign will be a deeply partisan effort. It will be all about turnout.  Democrats will be told that this is a way to hit Donald Trump where it hurts.

Whichever party is more motivated to vote will come out on top. Mainstream media knows that any coverage of this issue will anger conservative voters, thus motivating them to get their ballots in. Even common-sense moderates and liberals should be outraged that the governor is manipulating our election process just to spite our President.

One of the big mysteries surrounding Prop 50 is the funding. Cost estimates run from $215 million to 230million  to taxpayers. This from a state facing huge cuts because of shortfalls. This from a state that struggled for months to pass a budget that almost all admit is balanced in name only – and by the way, there was no couple of hundred million dollar slush fund set aside for this endeavor.

So where does this quarter of a billion dollars come from, and what gets cut in its place?

Even for those who believe that President Trump and Texas Governor Abbot are overreaching, it is impossible to rationalize this overtly political measure. Politicians should never be able to influence the reapportionment of their districts, yet several in the state legislature have used Prop 50 as an opportunity to create a custom-made congressional district for themselves.

We are fortunate to have a few local radio shows and CalCoastNews to provide substantial facts. Not so much from “mainstream” media outlets. If only more people paid attention….

Greg Haskin is the Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business (COLAB) San Luis Obispo. COLAB is a not for profit public policy and advocacy community resource.

 


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As I walk through the sea of human feces on the sidewalk, I take solace in knowing our cost of living is higher here than in Texas because we are indeed better than Texas.


Perhaps at some point in the near future, we can somehow convince the rest of America that boys can be girls, and that girls can be boys.


You need to find some new walking places.


You need to identify sarcasm.


Gerrymandering already makes our democracy look shaky. Prop 50 doubles down on that – just like all the lawfare of late. Credibility of government institutions is heading to a new low . Professional wrestling has more class!


I’ve seen stories about this issue on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, LA Times, NY Times, and Washington Post. I guess those news outlets are no longer considered “mainstream media.” Go figure.


The “mainstream media” is the ring leader of the 3 ring circus.

Problem

Reaction

Solution

Both party’s are guilty of gerrymandering.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxXD51SGUOk


I think what he means is that he hasn’t seen it covered NEGATIVELY enough.


There’s also “legacy media” – not sure what the difference is between it and mainstream. All I know is that across the board NO ONE has ever gotten as many passes as Trump has. It’s just another normal day in America.


Passes? Or, follows the rules?


8 out of 9 lean far left in their reporting. The 8 of nine report agenda filled stories supporting the narrative with their talking points AKA “The Synchronized Media”


I get my news from other outlets majority of the time, YOU SHOULD TRY IT.


AHHH, what am I saying, you’re already brainwashed….NEVERMIND


A few facts. Texas started this and we would have stopped if they did. More importantly it is the Republican Party that voted down Federal Non-Partisan redistricting law in 2022. If this was important to you a 50 state solution is something you should support, but I doubt it.


Democrats would willingly support non-partisan redistricting in all 50 states.

We want to have secure, free, elections where all Eligible voters have an opportunity to vote, and have their vote counted.

We want government to be honest, easy, accessible, and not oppressive.

The California law is written as a temporary response to the partisan action, at the behest of the president, in other states. Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Florida.


A few facts: Texas is being forced to comply with court orders stemming from a Biden DOJ lawsuit brought in 2022 for unconstitutional minority-majority districts they drew in 2021.


California’s current congressional delegation consists of 52 representatives, with 43 Democrats and 9 Republicans even though over 25% of Californians are Republican. Seems like they should have 13 Republican Congressmen. Or do you want to be like Massachusetts with no Republican representation?


The fact that Prop 50 blatantly violates the state Constitution, says all you need to know about democrats and Newsom.


It won’t violate the state constitution if it is passed. In case you haven’t been in California long, the initiative process can change the law. A good example of this was in 2020 when Prop 22, sponsored by Uber and Lyfft, passed and allowed those companies to circumvent California laws on gig workers.


Democrats were the ones who pushed for a nonpartisan commission to draw congressional districts in California. In Republican states such as Texas, they resisted this and were unilaterally able to redraw maps five years before the next census. Minus that action, California would not be retaliating. In California, however, we are actually taking it to the people for approval, unlike Texas. Of course I’m sure that when Prop 50 passes, Trump will be claiming voter fraud or that too many dogs voted.


At least Mr barkpony is original…


This article has maybe persuaded me to vote for Prop 50 because of how willfully it misses the main argument. It is hypocrisy.


What needed to be said is that what President Trump and the Texas Republicans are doing a mid cycle partisan gerrymander for pure partisan power) which “breeches uncountable numbers of political and moral ethics” as Mr Haskin says about Newsom. If it’s wrong for Newsom it’s wrong for Texas Republicans – both efforts should be stopped, but he doesn’t say that! This article places the cards on the table that gerrymandering is only upsetting when Democrats are doing it. There is no principaled stance and therefore how can we take any of what is said seriously?


Either you believe gerrymandering is wrong because it’s a corruption of democracy to procedurally stack the deck against the minority party – in which case Trump and Abbot deserve *some* words of criticism, both parties are at fault. Or you support partisan power grabs by only your side and then have no ground to stand on when the other side has the same notion. Mr Haskin opaquely pefers the later option, perhaps because of blind partisan loyalty he can’t see the log in his own eye, perhaps because he can’t handle the sour grapes of his own making.


Yeah!!! The cure for gerrymandering is MORE gerrymandering!!!


Everyone is aware and everyone with common sense is on board with the plan. Texas started it, California and the other blue states will finish it.


Please don’t let facts get in the way of your feelings. Texas is merely complying with a lawsuit brought by the Biden DOJ in 2022 against Galvenston County for the maps drawn in 2021 because it created minority-majority districts.


More like “Everyone who lacks common sense is on board”


Newsom Derangement Syndrome.


So tell us how you think this special election is a good thing.


It’s NOT a good thing, if you’ve had your fill of voting for your leaders and are looking forward to a future of dictatorial rule for you, your kids and their kids. I wouldn’t worry though – it’s probably too late. Nonetheless, fighters will fight. Times like these are when we find out who our fighters and heroes are.


OK, there, William Wallace…..

We all know the truth, which is that the Democrats in Sacramento absolutely hate those people in California who don’t vote Democrat. You talk about Trump instituting dictatorial rule. It was your beloved progressive Democrats who promulgated Executive Order 9066. The only party in American politics with a documented, proven, objectively verifiable record of stuffing Americans into prison camps is the Democrat party. I’m an independent. I don’t especially love the Republicans. To my mind, the Republicans are like Hepatitis C, and the Democrats are Ebola. Since I only get the choice of one disease or the other, I choose the chronic rather than the acute. This “temporary” measure won’t be temporary once the time has elapsed. They’re ecstatic that Texas is doing this, it gives them a pretext to seize yet more power, whilst simultaneously whipping up the Leftist myrmidons in this state against Donald Trump, who is now Emmanuel Goldstein. So go ahead and cosplay as “The Resistance” but you’re wrong. Just wrong.

Peace.


Listen, Longshanks. I’d like to respond to your comment but it is so plagued with projection, assumptions, and false premises, that we’d be here all day. When you start a comment with “We all know the truth” you’re off to a bad start and when your last sentence contains the word “cosplay” you don’t do yourself any favors. WE ALL KNOW that you’ve dying to use that word in a sentence – any sentence.


OK, I took a jab at you, you took a jab at me. No worries. However, I do notice that you declined to address the issue of Democrats being enamored of concentration camps. That’s kind of a biggie. You know, the self-righteous shriekers who want us all to forget about their whole Gulagasm in the 1940s. I suppose we’re supposed to conclude that they’ve moved on and they pinkyie-promise that nobody else will get shoved into a camp. Except that I for one don’t believe they’ve moved on. I believe that they long for the days when they, by imperious decree, shoved Americans into prison camps. Why wouldn’t they? That must have been intoxicating. No more pretensions of debate or the contest of ideas, just the raw exercise of armed force to imprison their opponents. They’ve been Jonesing for that adrenaline rush for 80+ years since then. It’s historical fact, and you duck it because you can’t address it honestly.

Peace.


Since you put it like that, okay, you win.


TDS