Texas Democratic legislators who bailed on the Lone Star State earlier this month in a bid to thwart GOP redistricting efforts have returned, bringing an end to a two-week deadlock and paving the way for passage of the Republican-championed congressional map.
The runaway lawmakers decided to make their return after an initial special session was adjourned Friday and after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to redraw district lines in the Golden State in a bid to cancel out the Texas GOP’s redistricting push.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement that they would “launch the next phase in their fight against the racist gerrymander that provoked a weeks-long standoff with Governor [Greg] Abbott and President Trump.”
The state House of Representatives was scheduled to gavel into session at 1 p.m. ET. Under state law, at least 100 of the 150 members of the legislature must be present to allow for a quorum so that it can proceed with business.
Following the departure of 57 Democratic lawmakers Aug. 3, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbot and Attorney General Ken Paxton went to court to boot the runaways from office.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked the FBI to help locate the Dems who fled to blue states like Illinois, Massachusetts and New York, while GOP state House Speaker Dustin Barrows doled out civil arrest warrants and stopped direct deposit on the absent legislators’ paychecks.
Abbott had pushed for a special session to pass flood aid relief and a new map that Republicans hope will help them flip five congressional seats. President Trump had commended the effort.
The governor promptly called a second special session after the first one adjourned Friday.
Generally, states redistrict once every decade after the census is conducted, but mid-decade redistricting is not entirely unprecedented.
Texas currently has 38 congressional districts, represented by 25 Republicans and 12 Democrats — with one vacancy. The GOP proposal opens the door to 30 Republican-favoring districts and eight Democrat-favoring districts, according to election analyst Dave Wasserman.
Meanwhile, Newsom announced a November referendum on a new map that could allow Democrats to nab as many as five more congressional seats out West.
Some polling has indicated that the governor’s proposal is underwater with California voters. Only 36% of voters wanted redistricting authority to be ceded back to state lawmakers from the current independent commisison, according to a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey.
Republicans currently hold a 219-212 majority in the US House of Representatives, with four vacancies.
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