The Pros & Cons of Prop 50

ATTN: Republican Voters!  Do Not Sit This Election Out! Here’s Why:

Democrat ‘PROS’ in favor of Prop 50:

1. Increases (D) competitiveness in five congressional districts where progressive priorities can be advanced at the national level

2. A high-profile campaign increases national visibility for Governor Newsom

3. Counters mid-decade redraws in other states like Texas (whose 2021 maps faced racial bias lawsuits largely upheld in 2022, prompting the controversial 2025 redraw)

Common Sense Voter ‘CONS’ against Prop 50:

1. Wasteful Spending Amid Fiscal Crisis: Despite a $11.8 billion state deficit, Democrats allocate $150 million in taxpayer funds for a special election to advance Prop 50, prioritizing partisan goals over fiscal responsibility.

2. Undermines Voter Mandate: Aims to override the 2008 decision of over 8.5 million Californians who established the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission for fair maps.

3. Dark Money Influence: Funded by $140 million from DCCC donors, including $2.5 million from Michael Moritz and Planned Parenthood, to impose gerrymandered maps mid-decade.

4. Seat Theft and Long-Term Lock-In: Nets 5 Democrat House seats now and securing them for three additional election cycles, entrenching Progressive dominance and far from the independent reform established by law in 2008

5. Severely Flawed Maps: Princeton Gerrymandering Project assigns an "F" grade to the proposal calling it a blatant "fairness-killer"; and CalMatters called the DCCC maps the worst in 60 years because it split more counties, mostly impacting: Los Angeles County (13 districts), Orange (8 districts), Fresno (6 districts), Sacramento (5 districts), and San Joaquin (5 districts).

6. Legislative Hypocrisy: In the same session that Democrats pass AB 1441 to create a "fair" Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission for Merced County Supervisorial districts, Democrats pass ACA 8 to dismantle the voter-approved statewide Redistricting Commission.

7. Authoritarian Power Consolidation: Represents authoritarian rules allowing politicians to act as "KING" and pick their voters—drawing districts to favor themselves—while overturning the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that ensures voters choose representatives.

8. Negates the 10-Year Cooling-Off Period: Current law bars redistricting commissioners from running for affected offices for 10 years to prevent self-serving bias; Prop 50 removes this critical safeguard, allowing participants to immediately pursue seats in the districts they just influenced.

VOTE NO ON PROP 50 - AND TELL A FRIEND!

-- Dolly Wright, RMPC Caucus Chair, Supervisorial District 2