(KTLA) — A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom called a new GOP-led effort to split the state into two parts a "stunt that will go nowhere."

A statement to NewsNation affiliate KTLA was released following the announcement of a joint resolution authored by Republican State Assembly leader James Gallagher, which calls for the state's inland counties to form their own state separate from the major population centers on the coast.

The Republican-led effort is in response to Newsom's proposal to redraw the state’s congressional maps to combat similar efforts in Texas that could potentially shift the political balance in Congress significantly in favor of the GOP. Gallagher is among the state's most outspoken opponents to Newsom's redistricting plans.

In a terse statement rebuking G

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