California Republican lawmaker proposes ‘two-state solution’ in response to redistricting fight

Amidst redistricting battles, a California lawmaker is proposing that the map be permanently redrawn to split the state in two.

The top Republican in the California State Assembly, James Gallagher, has an alternate plan to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California redistricting plan, which is set to go before voters this November.

Instead of carving up individual congressional districts, Gallagher is proposing to split the state in two, calling it a “two-state solution.”

Gallagher’s plan would cleave the state into two distinct parts, with the bluer coastal counties separated from the more GOP-heavy inland portions of the state.

“The people of inland California have been overlooked for too long,” Gallagher said in a news release. “It’s time for a two-state solution.”

According to the news release, his proposed new state would include more than 10 million Californians, putting it in the top 10 most populous states in the U.S.

Gallagher announced a Wednesday news conference in Sacramento, where he is expected to outline his two-state plan.