The Brief
Governor Greg Abbott will call a second special session if the current one ends without a redistricting map.
Texas House Democrats are in Illinois, preventing a quorum and blocking legislation, including bills related to flood relief.
The Senate has passed its redistricting map and several flood-related bills, but the measures are stalled in the House.
Governor Greg Abbott said he will immediately call a second special session if the current session ends Friday, as expected, without a redistricting map.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans passed their map despite a democratic walkout in their chamber, but over in the house nothing is happening while Democrats remain out of state in protest.
What we know
A new day but the same gridlock in the Texas house due to the Democratic quorum break over redistricting.
Republicans were planning to take up flood response legislation.
The Senate operated as normal, passing multiple bills in response to the July 4 flood disaster in Central Texas, including Senate Bill 2. The bill dedicates 50 million dollars in state funding to install outdoor sirens in flood-prone counties that were included in the governor’s disaster declaration. It would also fund new flood gauges.
"I think it was a need to reinforce what can't happen if the public turns us off (alerts) at night or doesn't have it, or the campers are too young, because the obvious focus is you've got to get people to higher ground," said State Senator Paul Bettencourt.
SB 1 & SB 3
Dig deeper
Senate Bill 1 also cleared the senate. It would create new policies for disaster response preparedness.
"It will save lives today. And it didn't cost a dime to do it," said State Senator Charles Perry.
Senate Bill 3 appropriates $20 million to create a swift water training facility.
None of these bills are controversial, but Democrats complain that Republicans deliberately stacked them behind redistricting as a coercive tactic.
What they're saying
FOX 4’s Steven Dial spoke to Collin County State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, who is in Illinois to break quorum.
"Democrats have been holding the line strong on this issue, and we're not running away from anything. We're actually taking the fight to the bad guys. We're trying to bring attention to what's been going on," said Rep. Plesa.
Plesa was asked about her response to Democrats blocking legislation from other bills on the agenda.
"My response is that we're actually not blocking this legislation, we're actually putting it at the forefront. And it's because Texas Democrats are making such a big deal about the fact that Republicans in the house have put flood victims on the back burner that now they're focusing on these issues," she said.
Redistricting
Local perspective
When the redistricting map came up for a vote in the senate, nine Democratic senators walked out.
"Democrats, when they are in control of the White House, don't tell Democratic states so they can withstand the rage of voters for failing policies and bad leadership," said Dallas County Senator Nathan Johnson.
The bill passed on a party-line vote.
"The map is legal in respect to all applicable law," said State Senator Phil King.
What's next
Burrows sent house members home and told them to return on Friday. If there is no quorum on Friday, they will end the special session, and Gov. Abbott will call a second special session. He says with the same agenda.
The Source
Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's Steven Dial.
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