Aiming for a supermajority in California Legislature, Democrats play the Trump card

SACRAMENTO — The one shred of power Republicans hold in the California statehouse — enough seats to block Democratic lawmakers from having a “supermajority” — is on the brink in this election.

Already California is one of only seven states in which Democrats control the Legislature and the governor’s office, as compared to 23 states where the GOP holds both. Republicans in the Golden State no longer hold a single statewide office. But they still have enough seats to block Democrats from a two-thirds majority — meaning that Democrats can’t raise taxes or pass certain kinds of bills without some bipartisan support.

But even that modicum of clout could slip away at the polls on Nov. 8. The Republican share of California’s registered voters has dwindled to just 27 percent. Demographics, voting trends and turnout at the polls all threaten to cut even further against the GOP here. And of course there’s the elephant in the room: GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, whose poll numbers in California this past week dropped to “unchartered territory,” as one former GOP operative put it.

If the state emerges after Nov. 8 with a Democratic supermajority, the only consolation prize for conservatives will be the reality that some of those Democrats will be moderate, pro-business types willing to buck liberals in their own party.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/29/aiming-for-a-supermajority-in-california-legislature-democrats-play-the-trump-card/