Related video: Texas Redistricting Turmoil
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said he planned to call another special session after the state House failed to achieve a quorum, the minimum number of lawmakers needed in order to conduct business, to pass a new Republican-crafted House map.
“With the Texas House and Senate today announcing they are prepared to sine die on Friday, I will call the Texas Legislature back immediately for Special Session #2,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday, referring to the chambers adjourning.
“The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda, with the potential to add more items critical to Texans,” he continued. “There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.”
A large group of Texas state House Democrats have remained out of the state for nearly a week as they’ve looked to block Republicans from passing new congressional lines that would give the GOP five pickup opportunities next year.
Texas committees in the Senate and House have passed identical House maps, but neither chamber has been able to bring their map for a full vote on either floor since the Democrats have left.
Abbott has warned that he’ll continue to call special sessions until they return. It remains unclear how long Democrats will be out of the Lone Star State for.
While California makes moves toward neutralizing Texas Republicans’ expected gains with their new map, other blue and red states could also redraw their own maps.
Abbott has warned Texas could eliminate 10 Democratic districts if California tries to pass a more Democratic-friendly map in response to the map passed in Texas.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments