Guest Opinion | Councilmember Jason Lyon: Why I’m Voting Yes on Prop 50

California voters will soon decide a matter of state law with national implications. It is not too dramatic to say that American democracy itself may hang in the balance.

That’s why I am supporting Proposition 50.

Prop 50 asks voters to temporarily replace congressional district maps drawn by California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission with maps drawn to favor Democrats. The maps are intended to offset partisan gerrymandering in at least seven Republican-led states.

My ‘yes’ vote did not come easy. I believe in fundamental fairness in governance—which is why I voted to create the redistricting commission in the first place. It is a basic act of good governance to remove partisanship from the redistricting process and ensure that all constituencies have a proportional voice in governance. I still believe independent redistricting is the most fundamentally democratic way of drawing district lines.

In 2019, however, the Supreme Court of the United States held that, while partisan gerrymandering may be unjust, courts are powerless to stop it.  In so ruling, SCOTUS rejected lower courts’ finding that gerrymandering violates the US Constitution because it discriminates against voters based on viewpoint. SCOTUS effectively ruled—and I think, incorrectly—that all voices do not have an equal right to be heard by their government.

Since then, at least six so-called red states redrew their congressional districts to carve up cities and dilute Democratic representation. Three so-called blue states did the same to reduce Republican power.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a “red state” or a “blue state.”  Every state is some shade of purple. Even in California, often considered the quintessential blue state, there are nearly 5.8 million registered Republicans. That is more than the entire populations—irrespective of party—in 30 states, according to the 2020 census. In an ideal world, each state’s congressional maps would yield the number of partisan seats that roughly corresponds to each party’s registrations in the state.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world where unfair gamesmanship has become the norm. The President recently called on states with majority Republican legislatures to eradicate Democratic votes. Yet, according to Gallup and others, over the past 35 years, a plurality of U.S. adults (on average, 47%) identify as Democrats or left-leaning, while a substantially smaller number (on average, 43%) identify as Republican or right-leaning. If the so-called red states succeed in hijacking these Congressional seats, we will have created a minority ruling class, nullifying the voting power of the majority and upending democracy.

That’s where Prop 50 comes in. Unlike other states, California is taking the question to voters to decide whether to change our maps. A “yes” vote will help California combat the minority takeover of Congress. While it may not allow the Democratic Party to hold the exact number of seats in Congress that it should in proportion to the U.S. population at large, California can at least help hold the line at a close split between the parties. That close split may be our last, best hope for democracy in these polarized times; getting anything done in Congress will require bi-partisan policymaking.

Still, Prop 50 is an imperfect solution. It may temporarily reduce California Republicans’ collective influence in their congressional caucus, and it won’t literally give voice to disenfranchised Democrats in other states.  The priorities of California Democrats may not align with those of blue voters in states where Republican gerrymandering is underway. But until we adopt a national policy for drawing district lines that prioritizes proportional representation, equity, and fairness, California’s Prop 50 is one practical way of fighting America’s rapid retreat from democracy.

I hope Pasadenans, regardless of party, will join me in voting yes on Prop 50.