'Play stupid games, get stupid prizes!' Shouting erupts at CA hearing on TX redistricting

Shouting erupted at a California Assembly hearing after a Republican member tried to delay the passage of a bill that would allow voters to redistrict the state in response to proposed gerrymandering in Texas.

During the Tuesday hearing on elections, the chair repeatedly cautioned Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa for creating delays by asking witnesses off-topic questions.

Democratic Assemblymember Catherine Stefani scolded Tangipa after the chair cut Tangipa off.

"I just want to recognize and associate myself with the comments of Assembly Member Bennett in terms of the theater that we are witnessing here; it is absolute theater," she observed. "We all know. We all know how we feel about what's happening in Texas. You feel one way. We feel another. We are responding to what Texas is doing."

"That is all that is happening here. We have a different idea on how to respond to autocrats who want to basically control this country in an unfair way by redistricting in a way that completely avoids voter input. And that's what Texas is doing. And that's why California is responding," she continued.

Stefani noted that Republicans on the committee had recently opposed a bill, "which directed the county of Merced to establish an independent citizens redistricting commission to ensure fairly drawn districts that take into account demographics and communities of interest."

"So don't sit here and play games," she said. "We know what's at stake."

As Tangipa spoke up, Stefani fired back: "Don't interrupt me! I am speaking now!"

"This is the Democrats' response to what is happening in Texas, what might happen in Ohio, what might happen in Missouri is a blatant attempt to control the elections," she explained. "And this is California's response. We have come up with a way to respond, and this is the bill that we are presenting today."

"You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes."

Watch the video below.