Could Orange County join a new state? That’s one Republican legislator’s proposal

Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher is behind a long-shot effort to split California into two separate states .

He now thinks Orange County should be added to the new proposed state, comprised mostly of inland counties .

Gallagher floated his California split proposal two weeks ago, amid legislative Democrats’ efforts to advance a mid-cycle congressional redistricting proposal. Voters in November, in a special election, will decide whether to enact partisan maps for the next three congressional elections — a move proponents say is meant to counter similar gerrymandering efforts in Republican-led states, including Texas and Missouri.

Gallagher’s original plan kept all of California’s coastal counties, except Del Norte, in one state with the others in a second state.

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