Empowerment Congress Proposition 50

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Faced with plummeting public support and the prospect of losing a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, President Donald Trump appealed to Texas Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special session of the Texas State Legislature to approve an unusual mid-decade partisan redistricting map for the state’s congressional delegation. The goal of mid-decade redistricting is to secure an additional five Republican-leaning seats to retain a narrow partisan Republican majority in the House following the November 2026 mid-term elections.

In response, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democratic legislature propose Proposition 50 to temporarily suspend redistricting maps produced by California’s voter-established independent Redistricting Commission. 

Unlike Texas, California voters will decide whether to take the extraordinary step to permit an off-cycle partisan redistricting. In this session, participate in a lively discussion about how Californians can use the ballot to express their perspective on authoritarianism, the manipulation of democratic norms, and voting power to determine the character of the democratic republic in which we live on November 4. 

Presenter Vincent Harris, Empowerment Congress Project Director and retired public policy advisor to elected officials, including the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, former California Governor Gray Davis and former LA Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. 

The Empowerment Congress, a grassroots effort to channel local activism into civic engagement, initially focused on accountable local government representation, the Congress quickly expanded to neighborhood issues like zoning, public safety, and economic development. Its work led to major changes, including new ordinances, city reforms, and the establishment of LA’s Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. Today, the Congress continues to fight racial and economic disparities, using tools like annual summits, partnerships, and community training programs to educate, engage, and empower residents across LA County.