District 3 Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher visited Shasta County to promote his plan to divide California into two separate states, following the recent passage of Proposition 50. This proposal aims to separate coastal counties from inland counties, addressing concerns about representation.
Gallagher expressed that many regions across California, not just Northern California, feel overlooked and underrepresented. He highlighted that Prop 50 has decreased inland representation in Congress, with the possibility that after the next election, three Bay Area representatives might represent all of Northern California.
The redistricting threatens the current seat of District 1 Representative Doug LaMalfa, prompting some Shasta County leaders to seriously consider the proposal. Shasta County Board Chair and District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye emphasized the importance of collaboration among supervisors to discuss the issue fully.
Public feedback on Gallagher’s plan was mixed. Some, like Jeff Gorder, dismissed the proposal as another failed attempt to split California, while others, like Leslie Sawyer, supported it as a means to create a government more representative of its people. Dawn Duckett criticized the plan as “political theater” that does not address practical local issues such as infrastructure or public safety.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in favor of drafting a resolution supporting the proposal, despite dissent from Supervisors Allen Long and Matt Plummer. Long stressed the need for clear answers before supporting such a resolution, and Plummer expressed concerns about manipulating representation rather than convincing voters.
With the resolution passed, county staff will proceed with administrative steps to express Shasta County’s stance to other government bodies. For California to split into two states, the state legislature and governor must approve the division, followed by Congress admitting the new states into the Union.
