California Proponents Say Yes to Prop 50 Protects Black Voter Rights and History

By Marion Apio

California lawmakers and civil rights leaders are framing Proposition 50 as a critical defense of Black voter rights and representation, warning that Republican-led efforts in other states threaten to undermine the health, political and social gains of Black communities. 

The measure, officially titled the Election Rigging Response Act, would temporarily suspend California’s independent redistricting commission for congressional maps, giving the Legislature the authority to draw new maps for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections, according to the Yes 50 Coalition.

At a briefing with the California Legislative Black Caucus and union leaders, State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson of District 39 — a practicing physician — delivered a stark warning about the threat to healthcare in Black communities. 

“California is the firewall protecting our communities from the worst of Trump’s attacks,” she said.

The coalition is led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the California Labor Federation.

“We Black Americans, we Black Californians are under attack,” Pearson said. “As a practicing physician, I cannot underscore the harm that will come as a result of what Trump has done and is doing to our medical system. In California, more than one million Black Californians are enrolled in Medi-Cal, and over 60% of our Black children utilize Medi-Cal.”

“We will lose access to preventative care, our hospitals and our communities will close, labor and delivery units will become unreachable, and the health disparities that impact the Black community will worsen,” Pearson continued during the virtual briefing. 

Pierson tied the measure directly to political representation.

“Our elders and our ancestors fought too long and too hard for representation to be taken away now,” the senator said.  “Representation is not some abstract concept. Who holds congressional seats affects federal funding, housing, criminal justice, education, and health care.”

Gov. Newsom emphasized that Prop. 50 is a temporary constitutional safeguard responding to what he called “unprecedented political interference” in other states. 

“California did not choose to be here,” Newsom said in the Oct. 7 briefing. “We’re here because of a reported conversation in which the former president said Republicans were ‘entitled to five more seats’ in Texas during a phone interview with CNBC in August.” 

Proposition 50 says California will not participate in that kind of manipulation, Newsom added.

“This is our moment to stand up and fight back, and Proposition 50 is our weapon. We are not in this fight alone,” Pierson said. “We are fighting for truth. We are fighting for justice and for the future of Black America — and California will gladly take that lead.”

The NAACP of California, Black Women for Wellness, Black Women Organized for Political Action, the African American Community Empowerment Council, and 72% of Black voters polled support Proposition 50, according to an Emerson College Polling survey from September.

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a whip for the Congressional Black Caucus, described the measure as “both a moral defense and a strategic offense.”

“Trump and MAGA Republicans are not just rewriting maps — they’re rewriting the rules of power,” Kamlager-Dove said. “They’ve rolled back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, defunded schools, and attacked programs like WIC and SNAP that disproportionately serve Black families. Prop 50 is how we fight back.”

In an email, Emily Weintraut, a UC Davis teaching assistant and chair of UAW Local 4811’s Academic Student Employee unit, warned that gerrymandering could silence workers and academic voices.

“We’ve seen intimidation, surveillance, and even immigration officers sent onto campuses without warrants,” the email read. “Passing Prop. 50 is a chance to check attacks on free speech and workers’ rights.”

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon framed the measure as a continuation of the civil rights struggle.

“After the Civil War, Black Americans held 2,000 elected offices — and a violent backlash erased them,” Simon said. “We are witnessing a modern attempt to surgically take us back to a Jim Crow South.”

She cited the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision, which she said resulted in the closure of 860 polling places, mostly in Black communities, according to a 2016 report by The Leadership Conference Education Fund.

“Prop. 50 is a temporary but essential shield that keeps Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and working-class people whole and visible,” Simon said.

Opponents argue the measure would dismantle California’s Independent Redistricting Commission and consolidate political control under the Democratic Legislature. But supporters reject those claims. They also say that the way Proposition 50 has been presented to the public is misleading and will have a long term impact on democracy. 

“This process is transparent and temporary,” Kamlager-Dove said. “Maps will be shared publicly, and authority returns to the commission in 2031. This is a moral defense against what’s happening in Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and Florida.”

“It’s a response to an emergency. When other states attempt to erase representation, California stands firm. He’s literally erasing history,” Newsom said, referring to reports of race references removed from Florida textbooks.

“Prop. 50 ensures California keeps truth, representation, and justice alive,” Newsom said. 

Ballots for the special election are now in circulation. Voters can verify registration and find official election information at registertovote.ca.gov.