To be fair, the GOP is running the same play in CA. They’re claiming CA’s gerrymandering is racial and needs to be halted.

This case is good because, if it goes to the SCOTUS, they can’t throw it out without also throwing out what the GOP is pushing for in CA. Or, if they try to throw it out, they’re going to need some expert level mental gymnastics.

That's how you get fair districts with some districts being more fair than others.

Like Ohio did?

Independent districting is just as vulnerable to the GOP. They will eliminate any sort of independence whether through legislation or threatening non-GOP members.

Isn’t California’s map dependent on the Texas one going into effect?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_California_Proposition_50

The specific text of the Proposition is

Authorizes Temporary Changes to Congressional District Maps in Response to Texas' Partisan Redistricting. Legislative Constitutional Amendment

There is no trigger tied to any action by the Texas redistricting committee. However, prior to Democrats putting the amendment on the California ballot..

On August 11, 2025, Newsom sent a letter to Donald Trump, stating that California would pause any mid-decade redistricting effort if other states called off their efforts. Two days later, Newsom announced that the deadline had passed and he would move forward with his own redistricting effort.

Now that the law has passed with overwhelming support (64/35 on final count), the map that was drafted by the independent bipartisan California Citizens Redistricting Commission is in effect going into 2026. This court decision has no effect on the California ballot amendment results or the enforcement of the new maps.

That language was removed, but you're right it was there initially. I think they removed the language to be able to respond if several other states combined also redistricted.

It is stated to be in response to Texas, but the amended constitution as far as I can see doesn't use language about it being conditional on Texas' plan happening.

In response to the congressional redistricting in Texas in 2025 (...) the single-member districts for Congress reflected in Assembly Bill 604 (...) shall temporarily be used for every congressional election for a term of office commencing on or after the date this subdivision becomes operative

It's just that the legislature's map shall be used for elections between the proposition's passage and 2031's regularly scheduled redistricting.

Yes. CA is basically responding to neutralize Texas. Ditto with this case. The GOP is trying to sue to top CA’s neutralization effort, and they’re claiming that CA’s very political gerrymander is secretly racist. In response, Dems are basically issuing the exact same racial gerrymander case in TX.

The one big difference is that CA’s voters are on record for supporting this. TX politicians are doing this without the consent of the people.

The verbiage in prop 50 that limited action based on Texas outcomes of implementing their maps was removed before Newsom's signature.

For now, at least, California's actions will continue to move forward.

I'd say don't count Texas out yet.

The facts in the California case will find that it was driven by political alignment, not race.

TX will just disguise its intentions a little better next time.