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Nine misconceptions about Prop 50

By Roberta Millstein

Back in August, I wrote an article arguing for why people ought to vote “Yes” on Prop 50: “Fight Fire with Fire.” Today I write to dispel some of the misconceptions about Prop 50 that I have encountered.  These will just be quick responses — more can be said about each of them — but at least this should be a starting point.

But first: be sure to turn in your ballots before November 4.  And, importantly: if you plan to use the U.S. Mail, mail early because Trump’s cuts to USPS mean that your envelope might not get postmarked on Election Day, and, more generally, mail might be slow enough to cause your ballot not to be counted.  On Election Day, use a drop box or voting center; see Yolo County locations here.

And some news since I wrote the previous article: It’s not just Texas who is trying to gerrymander to increase its Republican representation in Congress — Missouri and North Carolina are now getting into the act too.

Onto the misconceptions…

Misconception #1: Texas was forced to redistrict.

Reality #1: This is not true.  Rather, Trump ordered Texas to redistrict to get him more Republican votes and the Republicans in the Texas legislature readily complied (with Texas Democrats fighting hard against — some even left the state to try to prevent the vote), even though Trump has no legal power to change how states vote.

Misconception #2: Prop 50 will end democracy in CA.

Reality #2: Direct attacks on democracy are coming from Trump and the Republicans, not Democrats, with the federal government trying to change how states vote (e.g., by trying to get rid of vote-by-mail) and making it harder for people to vote (e.g., by reducing the number of places to vote). In the latest move, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that it will send election monitors to polling sites in CA (and NJ) for the upcoming election, even though it’s not a federal election. This is clearly meant to intimidate voters.  To save democracy in CA, we need a Congress that will stand up to Trump’s attacks on democracy, which is what Prop 50 is all about

Misconception #3: Prop 50 violates the will of CA voters.

Reality #3: Anything but — CA voters get to vote on whether this redistricting happens.  It is not unusual for voters to have a proposition that changes an earlier proposition.  That’s all that is happening here.

Misconception #4: We won’t be able to undo Prop 50 and go back to having Congressional districts that are drawn by independent commissions.

Reality #4: If Prop 50 passes, it will be written into the State Constitution that we will go back to using redistricting commissions in 2031 and every 10 years thereafter.  We would have to vote again not to use redistricting commissions.

Misconception #5: Two wrongs don’t make a right

Reality #5: If someone tries to punch you in the face, you have a legal and ethical right to defend yourself, even if you have to punch them back.  It is the same thing here.  We are countering Texas’s redistricting.

Misconception #6: This will lead to [insert something that people don’t like about CA governance].

Reality #6: The redistricting will not affect the districts that we use for electing the CA legislature (CA Senate and CA Assembly), only districts used for electing the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Misconception #7: We don’t know who drew the maps.

Reality #7: Actually, it is known; it was the same demographer who drew Davis’s City Council district maps.  But it’s basically a moot point since the maps are public; you can see them here. 

Misconception #8: I can’t vote for this because [insert something that people don’t like about Gavin Newsom].

Reality #8:  This is not a vote for Gavin Newsom for US President or any other elected position.  It is just a vote for our Congressional districts, period.  And many other elected officials, such as Senator Alex Padilla, are also publicly supporting Prop 50.[1]  (My opinion: Newsom would face a very tough road for the U.S. Presidency, since many CA Democrats aren’t crazy about him).

Misconception #9:  This will hurt rural voters.

Reality #9: Rural voters are the ones who are being hurt the most by Republican cuts to health insurance and other benefits for low income workers.  They are also being hurt by Trump’s tariffs and by his decision to import beef from Argentina.  Democrats in Congress have been fighting these policies, but with a minority in the House it is an uphill battle.

In other words: With many reasons to vote “yes” on Prop 50 (as described in my earlier article) and the debunking of arguments against, your path is clear. Again, please vote “yes” on Prop 50, and please do not wait to do so!

[1] According to the Yolo Democrats, Prop 50 is endorsed by:

• Every member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors

• Every member of the West Sacramento City Council

• Every member of the Woodland City Council

• Every member of the Davis City Council

• Every Federal and State representative for Yolo County

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Comments

36 responses to “Nine misconceptions about Prop 50”

  1. Ron O

    The very definition of “straw man” arguments – even before getting to the so-called “myths”.

    Haven’t decided if I’ll vote “yes”, or won’t even bother voting on it at all.

    But one thing it will likely do (that no one is talking about) is to increase the impact of one-party rule WITHIN California. Which might be why the California Teacher’s Association is behind the ads in support of Proposition 50.

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      As I noted above, it only affects CA representation in the US. House of Representatives. Not the legislature, and not any other elections for that matter.

      I imagine that the CTA is not too happy with the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education. I know that I am not.

      Reply
      1. –>KeiTh

        I also read that Indiana is getting ready to redistrict too in order to gain more GOP seats. California opened the flood gates.

      2. Roberta Millstein

        Umm, no, Texas did that. Or was California just supposed to sit back and let Trump and Texas tromp all over the next election?

      3. –>KeiTh

        Umm, no. California’s redistricting led to even more GOP states doing what Texas did. Like I said, it’s a losing battle for Democrats to carry on this fight because the GOP has far many more seats to gain than the Democrats do. So thank you California, you may have secured the House of Reps for the Republicans with your actions.

      4. Roberta Millstein

        We can agree — Texas was first, California went second to counter Texas. Yet you blame CA for not just sitting and taking it? You claim that somehow it was California who started the trend, even though it was Texas first? Doesn’t pass the sniff test.

        Let’s all remember that nationwide, redistricting is usually only done at the beginning of the decade, following the nationwide census. Texas did an unusual mid-decade redistricting because Trump told them to — because Trump wanted to stack the deck in the Republicans favor. So yeah, California is fighting back.

      5. –>KeiTh

        “California is fighting back” just as Indiana, North Carolina and Missouri are fighting back against California.Like I stated, this is a losing battle for Democrats. BRING IT ON!

    2. –>KeiTh

      Yes Ron, “straw man” arguments was the first thing that came to mind.

      “It’s not just Texas who is trying to gerrymander to increase its Republican representation in Congress — Missouri and North Carolina are now getting into the act too.”

      Yes, it’s the Republicans who have the most to gain through gerrymandering because democrats have already gerrymandered about as much as they can in the states they control. Newsom has opened that door so look for even more GOP states to follow. Watch what you wish for.

      Reply
  2. mmthomasdoka

    1) For both its U.S. House delegation and its state legislature, California’s districts are heavily skewed in favor of Democrats, a dynamic that has recently prompted new redistricting battles and a proposal to split the state.

    California’s U.S. congressional districts
    After the 2024 general election and based on maps drawn by a citizen commission, Democrats hold a substantial majority of the state’s 52 U.S. House seats:
    Democrats: 43 seats.
    Republicans: 9 seats.

    2) All prop 50 does is skew it even further as ca has: Democratic Party: 45.3% (approximately 10.4 million voters)
    Republican Party: 25.2% (approximately 5.8 million voters)

    There are twice as many Dem voters as republicans but 5X more seats!

    Vote no on 50 as it’s designed to disenfranchise republican voters.

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      As I debunked above, this has nothing to do with the CA legislature. Also, yes, the WHOLE POINT of Prop 50 is to increase Dem representation in the House because of Trump pressuring other states to gerrymander the US house in favor of Republicans. It would not have been necessary if Trump hadn’t leaned on Texas (and now Missouri and NC).

      Reply
  3. mmthomasdoka

    Facts

    1) As of August 2025, registered Democrats in California account for 45.3% of the state’s total registered voters, while registered Republicans make up 25.2%.
    California’s overall voter registration, as of August 2025, is distributed as follows:
    Democratic Party: 45.3% (approximately 10.4 million voters)
    Republican Party: 25.2% (approximately 5.8 million voters)

    2) State Senate: 32 Democrats, 8 Republicans. The Democrats hold 80% of the seats.
    State Assembly: 62 Democrats, 18 Republicans. The Democrats hold 77.5% of the seats.
    U.S. Congressional Delegation
    California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives also has a strong Democratic majority:
    Out of 52 total House seats, Democrats hold 40 (77%) and Republicans hold 12 (23%).

    The current congressional map was drawn by an independent citizens commission and was rated as fair by academic institutions.

    Proposition 50 its nit fair; it will impact future congressional representation. It would allow for a new congressional district map to be used until 2030, which analysts believe could lead to an increase in Democratic-leaning seats

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      As I debunked above, this has nothing to do with the CA legislature. Also, yes, the WHOLE POINT of Prop 50 is to increase Dem representation in the House because of Trump pressuring other states to gerrymander the US house in favor of Republicans. It would not have been necessary if Trump hadn’t leaned on Texas (and now Missouri and NC).

      Reply
    2. Marjorie Johansen

      That is so true. I am so sad to see Obama & others promoting Prop 50. No concern or knowledge of Calif. rural citizens that are being shafted. Modoc , Siskiyou, Shasta counties cannot be adequately represented by someone elected by the more heavily populated counties on the coast & Sonoma & Marin.

      Reply
  4. Ron O

    Thanks for clarifying that it doesn’t impact the state legislature. We have enough Scott Wieners in office.

    Reply
  5. mmthomasdoka

    California’s overall voter registration, as of August 2025, is distributed as follows:
    Democratic Party: 45.3% (approximately 10.4 million voters)
    Republican Party: 25.2% (approximately 5.8 million voters)

    Out of 52 total House seats, Democrats hold 40 (77%) and Republicans hold 12 (23%).

    Prop 50 worsens the already unfair democrat advantage!!

    Reply
  6. KevinW

    I’ve never seen a less thought out, more reactionary, and more blatant attempt to subjugate voters. These are your neighbors, co-workers and fellow citizens. They deserve the same respect and voice you are seeking to commandeer for. All in the name of short term political rock throwing. Childish and completely unprincipled. I get it. You don’t like Trump. Try convincing people on the merits rather than bully them with political tricks than fly in the face of every philosophic principle Americans historically held dear. Just a shameful moment and a terrible lesson for our future generations… when you feel threatened, take the power away from those who disagree. Absolutely terrible morality.

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      Wow, what an astonishing reply. You don’t identify ANY mistakes I have made in my post — you just throw a bunch of mud and hope that no one notices you haven’t actually presented any facts at all, only baseless accusations.

      Reply
      1. Ron O

        Well, truth be told Roberta – most of what you write as “myths” above I’ve never even heard of. As such, your source of these myths aren’t listed, either. The important exception being the one regarding the legislature – which was something I just incorrectly assumed – rather than hearing as a myth. (When it comes time to mail in a ballot, that’s when I actually skim through documentation. I don’t pay a lot of attention prior to that, other than to notice who is funding political ads – if listed.)

        You would find disagreement regarding at least one “myth” that you presented above, however. Including from a Democratic supervisor in Sonoma county (who is nevertheless supportive of Proposition 50). She does believe that it disenfranchises rural voters (including those in her district), as I recall. You can look it up – her name is Lynda Hopkins. But more importantly, I’m pretty sure that those in the state of “Jefferson” would strongly disagree with you.

        In any case, here’s the article regarding Lynda Hopkins:

        https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/redistricting-sonoma-lynda-hopkins-20824578.php

      2. Roberta Millstein

        I said “misconceptions,” not myths — although I am not sure that it matters much (I only mention it because you put it in quotes as though it was something I said). I’ve been doing a lot of talking with people about Prop 50 across social media and in person, so there is no one to cite. You will just have to take my word for it that each of these misconceptions is one that I have encountered multiple times. The one that is citable is the one that you cite — and yes, I had that in mind in my response, as many people have quoted Hopkins across media articles. My point is that there are harms to rural voters from sticking with Trump, and what I am doing above is pointing those harms out.

      3. KevinW

        Restating the express intention of prop 50 is not throwing mud. You literally state over and over again it’s a response to Texas, admit its sole purpose is designed to increase democrats seats in Congress (at the expense of CA voters you don’t agree with), and claim it’s temporary knowing full well the process will be subjugated at will going forward now that there is a template for doing so. And you keep claiming it’s fine because it’s only Congress, not the CA legislature, completely ignoring the fact that our congressional representatives are elected to represent the interests of its constituents … you know, the foundational principle of our representative democracy. Come back down to reality, start putting the shoe on the other foot, and tell me how this whole subversion of our state constitution is ok. Rural areas all over the state are vehemently opposed and marching to say so. But they shouldn’t matter because you believe republican policies are worst for them? Wow…the conceit. You haven’t come close in your 9 points to saying anything in defense of prop 50 other than: republicans are bad so it’s ok do take their voices away. Aguilar-Curry should be ashamed her name is attached to something so short-sighted and vile. And I used to respect Obama. His shilling for this is a slap in the face. And our local democrats supporting it means they put party above principle, which is not surprising at all given that they have the sort of blind support you demonstrate here. We need to strip power from anyone who puts party above people.

      4. Roberta Millstein

        For each of the 9 misconceptions, I give a specific reply that debunks it. As I stated out the outset of the article, and then repeated at the end, this article was a follow-up to the earlier article where I gave the reasons why — instead of debunking the reasons why not, as I do here. Here again is that link giving the positive argument, in case you can’t locate it: https://davisite.org/2025/08/27/fight-fire-with-fire/

        As for my nine misconceptions, you haven’t given any reasons why I am mistaken about any of them. Just more opinions, more mud thrown at me and some prominent Democrats.

      5. Ron O

        You’re right – I apparently had a “misconception” that you said “myths”. (Or maybe when the comments become numerous-enough, I don’t go back to read the original article.)

        I don’t know why people in the state of Jefferson view Sacramento/Democrats with such hostility, but they have for a long time, apparently. (Or at least, Sacramento politics.)

        Or maybe that’s another misconception/myth/fable.

        In any case, I think you could title your article “MisconceptionBusters”.

  7. South of Davis

    If Prop 50 passes I predict that they will work to get even more seats (they can make it a “hate crime” to vote for anyone that is anti-trans)…

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      “They” who? “Seats” where? How? Hate crime? You’re throwing out things that have no basis in reality.

      Reply
  8. Jim Davis

    The people arguing “NC, MO, etc would not have done this if CA had only lain back and taken it from TX” are either disingenuous or not paying attention. The current president was *always* planning to muscle all these other states, *regardless* of what CA did.

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      Exactly. Just as he started with one law firm and then moved to others, started with one university and then moved to others, started deploying national guard to one state and then moved to others. It’s the way he does things.

      Reply
  9. South of Davis

    Roberta, be honest did you really “encounter” those “nine misconceptions” (by driving to rural parts of the state to talk to people in red MAGA hats and hear what they were saying about prop 50) or did you just decide on the list since they were as easy to argue against as a “straw man” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
    Other than a small number of hard-core partisans nobody on the right or left thinks it is a good idea to let the politicians pick their voters as opposed to letting the voters pick their politicians. I’m not happy with what TX is doing but I have to disagree with you that “Two wrongs don’t make a right”. If TX puts Democrats in jail so they can’t vote to we have to do the same for Republicans?

    Reply
    1. Roberta Millstein

      Yes, I really did encounter all of them. There is this thing called “social media.” And it’s very interesting, a lot of anti-prop 50 folks hang out in places like Gavin Newsom’s page in order to make the case for the “no” side. So you can learn a lot, as I did, about the misconceptions that are out there. None of them are strawwmen, unless you say that people were making those arguments even though they knew them to be false, which is of course possible. Still worth debunking them, though, because some people might buy them. If you (and Ron) don’t buy them, great! Then this article was not written for you, but rather for someone who accepted one or more of them.

      Reply
      1. Ron O

        I didn’t even see them. The one misconception (that I think is most-important) is the one I just mistakenly assumed. Made it up on my own, so to speak. (Though if I ever get-around to reading the voter pamphlet before it’s too late to vote, I’d probably figure it out.)

        Overall, I’m not particularly thrilled with any of this (Gerrymandering). I wonder if the Democratic voters in Texas (some of whom migrated from California) have been raising any concern.

      2. Roberta Millstein

        When the gerrymandering proposal went to the Texas legislature, the Texas Democrats did what they could to stop the process, even to the point of leaving the state so that the legislature couldn’t meet. They were threatened with arrest, threatened with losing their jobs. They got a lot of support from Democrats within and outside of Texas. They held out for a long time, but when CA said that it was going to go forward with Prop 50, they came back to Texas and voted “no” (and lost, because they were in the minority). Or so I recall. It’s been a busy news cycle.

      3. Ron O

        I recall that, but I was really referring to the Texas constituents (voters) – not politicians. Seems like they should be giving an earful to whomever is supposedly representing them (now, and in the future).

        Then again, the same might be said regarding the residents of “Jefferson” (who apparently already provide an earful in regard to their values/interests).

        When I was younger (and more-ignorant), I viewed those with conservative values/goals as ignorant. I no longer do so. Though they tend to lose me when they refer to the invisible man in the sky, as George Carlin describes “him”.

      4. Roberta Millstein

        I believe that the Democrats in Texas were giving their legislators an earful while they were deliberating on whether to gerrymander to give Trump the five more Republican seats that he had asked for. However, after that passed, I think they have turned their efforts to subsequent Senate and House elections.

  10. South of Davis

    I just heard from a politically connected partisan GOP friend that the GOP now wants prop 50 to pass since it will give them the political cover to gerymander and pick up even more GOP House seats than they lose in CA in multiple “Red States”.

    Reply
    1. –>KeiTh

      Yup SOD. that’s what I’ve been saying. The Democrats just opened the door and California’s Prop 50 will result in a net loss for Democrats when several GOP states respond.

      Reply
  11. Julia Wald

    I noticed several posts detailing the discrepancy between voter population and US House representation by party in California, which made me curious about other states. According to the Independent Voter Project (independentvoterproject.org/voter-stats/tx) Texas has (I was surprised to learn) more Democratic voters (8,133,683 – 46.52%) than Republican (6,601,189 – 37.75%). The Texas congressional delegation, however, is as skewed as California’s – 12 Democrats (31.58%) and 26 Republicans (68.2%). California has almost twice as much D
    emocratic representation in congress as Democratic population, and Texas has almost twice as much Republican representation in congress as Republican population.

    Reply
  12. Response to Bob Dunning, re: the nine misconceptions about Prop 50 – Davisite

    […] Nine misconceptions about Prop 50 […]

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