California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher on 26–27 Aug. unveiled a resolution that calls for splitting the nation’s most populous state into two jurisdictions—one covering the Democratic-leaning coastal counties, the other the more conservative inland region. Gallagher said the move is aimed at protecting rural representation amid a redistricting fight led by Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers. “The people of inland California have been overlooked for too long. It’s time for a two-state solution,” he said in prepared remarks released with the proposal. Creating a new state would require approval from both chambers of the California Legislature and the U.S. Congress, hurdles that have scuttled previous secession efforts such as the long-running bid for a ‘State of Jefferson’ in Northern California. Gallagher has not yet detailed a legislative timetable or how the proposed boundary would be drawn.