SACRAMENTO — Local lawmakers Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) and state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) denounced Gov. Gavin Newsom’s actions in a tit-for-tat gerrymandering battle between California and Texas.

The California legislature voted to approve a bill calling for a special Nov. 4 election that will let voters decide in November whether to approve a redrawn congressional map. The move is designed to help Democrats win five more U.S. House seats next year, after Texas Republicans advanced their own redrawn map to pad their House majority at President Donald Trump’s urging.

“What we are seeing unfold in terms of this redistricting battle is a travesty to our institution, California, and the nation as a whole,” said Alanis. “The process here in California has lacked transparency, accountability, and fairness from the start. My colleagues in the majority are undermining the principles of representative democracy and the clear will of California voters, who do not want elected politicians to draw the lines in this state.

“I will not be supporting any of these shameful retaliatory mid-decade redistricting bills.”

Alvarado-Gil condemned the governor’s plan to scrap the voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission’s map.

“We’ve witnessed the consequences of one-party control in California — escalating costs, underperforming schools, unsafe communities, and the erosion of our freedoms,” said Alvarado-Gil. “Gov. Newsom’s attempts to consolidate power by dismantling voter-protection safeguards threatens the foundation of our democracy. California belongs to its people, not to its politicians.”

Alanis called for an end to partisan gamesmanship.

“Nothing good comes in the long run if California Democrats and Texas Republicans continue to behave like this,” said Alanis. “If California and Texas cannot get their redistricting processes under control, they risk permanently damaging the public’s trust in our democracy. Both states' redistricting plans are a waste of time and taxpayer dollars.”

Newsom pledged that he will reach out to Democrats, Republicans and independent voters.

“This is a reaction to an assault on our democracy in Texas,” the governor said. 

California Assemblyman James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader, said Trump was “wrong” to push for new Republican seats elsewhere, contending the president was just responding to Democratic gerrymandering in other states. But he warned that Newsom’s approach of fighting fire with fire is dangerous.

“You move forward fighting fire with fire and what happens?” Gallagher asked. “You burn it all down.”

Nationally, the partisan makeup of existing districts puts Democrats within three seats of a majority. The incumbent president’s party usually loses congressional seats in the midterms.

The president has pushed other Republican-controlled states, including Indiana and Missouri, to also revise their maps to add more winnable GOP seats. Ohio Republicans were already scheduled to revise their maps to make them more partisan.

Redistricting typically occurs once a decade, immediately after a census. While some states have their own limitations, there is no national impediment to a state trying to redraw districts in the middle of the decade.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.

13th Congressional District gets $7.4M from DOT

Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced) announced today that the Department of Transportation is directing more than $7.4 million in grant funding to airport improvement projects in Chowchilla, Madera, Atwater and Gustine. The funding will support lighting improvements, repaving, weatherization, and safety measures at municipal airports to keep the Central Valley connected with other areas of the state and country.

“Our Valley is the most productive agricultural region in the state,” said Gray. “To make sure our producers can get their goods where they need to go, our municipal airports must be up to the most current safety and efficiency standards. I’m proud to announce these critical funds for our airports, which will support our producers, our economy and our community as we continue to lead the world in production.” 

DOT via the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded seven grants to municipal airports across Rep. Gray’s district, including:

• $47,500 for the county of Merced’s rotating beacon replacement.
• $62,775 for the county of Merced’s automated weather monitoring system updates.
• $97,527 for the county of Merced’s lighting installation project.
• $57,000 for the city of Gustine’s fuel access expansion efforts.
• $6,052,740 for the city of Chowchilla’s runway safety improvement project.
• $585,000 for the city of Chowchilla’s runway reconstruction project.
• $575,500 for the city of Madera’s pavement improvement project.