California Republicans on Wednesday proposed creating a new state from 35 inland counties, a move they said was a response to Democratic redistricting that weakened GOP representation in Congress.
Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher introduced the plan, Assembly Joint Resolution 23—dubbed “The Two State Solution”—at a press conference in Sacramento. The resolution cites Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which permits new states to be formed from existing ones but requires approval from both the state legislature and Congress.
With Democrats holding supermajorities in both, the proposal faces steep odds, Just the News reported. But Gallagher described the measure as an effort to give a stronger voice to residents of inland California, whom he said are too often overlooked.
He pointed to rising costs, regulatory burdens, and limited political influence as key pressures facing families, small businesses, and truckers. “I think this is about the trucker in the Inland Empire who is told he has to get rid of his truck because of the regulations in this state,” Gallagher said while unveiling a proposed map.
Republican lawmakers said the plan is a response to Proposition 50, a redistricting measure devised by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom which is designed to give Democrats five more congressional seats. Gallagher called it “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” arguing inland residents have long been denied meaningful representation.
“When you strip us of all representation, when you deprive us of our voice, then we have no other option but to move forward in a civil way,” he said, according to the Washington Times. Gallagher also drew a biblical analogy, comparing the initiative to Moses leading the Israelites from Egyptian oppression.
“He said to that king, ‘Let my people go,’” Gallagher said. “Well, on kind of the same token this morning, I’m saying, ‘Gavin, let my people go.’”
The proposed inland state would encompass the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada, Northern California, and the Inland Empire, an area of about 10 million people. Coastal counties, which lean Democratic, would remain in California, though Gallagher said the boundaries could be adjusted for communities seeking to join the new state. “Orange County, I hear you,” he said.