Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is preparing to call a second special session to tackle redistricting if a quorum is just not met within the Texas House of Representatives by Friday.
Dozens of Democratic state representatives in Texas have stalled the GOP-led push for new congressional maps that might end in as many as 5 new Republican seats within the US Congress.
The present special session to tackle redistricting, flood aid and different points is about to finish on August 19, with Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows setting a Friday deadline for Democrats to return to meet quorum.
If a quorum is just not reached by then, the Texas House and Senate will “sine die the session,” marking the tip of the special session, Burrows stated. The governor’s workplace stated the brand new special session would start that very same day.
“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 stated in an announcement.
“The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda, with the potential to add more items critical to Texans. 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.”
The announcement got here shortly after the Texas House of Representatives failed to meet a quorum when it reconvened on Tuesday morning. There had been solely 95 members current within the chamber, 5 in need of the attendance required to meet quorum.
“If the devastation our hill country communities, the Texas Constitution and their mounting debt aren’t enough to bring them back today, they should yet again be reminded this is not going away,” Burrows stated. “The work is not going away, and the pressure on them will only grow.”
The Texas House will reconvene at 10 a.m. CT on Friday to strive to attain quorum as soon as once more. Burrows requested lawmakers to be inside six hours of the state capitol on Wednesday and Thursday in case there are indications a quorum might be reached on these days.
The newest failed try to attain a quorum on Tuesday escalates a gerrymandering arms race that started when President Donald Trump final month pushed Texas Republicans to redraw districts.
The effort might cushion the GOP towards losses within the 2026 midterm elections.
“We said we would defeat Abbott’s first corrupt special session, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” stated state Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic caucus chair, in an announcement. “Stop playing political games, stop pretending to be sheriff, and finally get to work on behalf of Texas families.”
Texas officers have attempted multiple tactics to convey again the state representatives so as to attain quorum, in addition to sought to work across the Democrats’ absence.
Burrows stated this week he requested the Texas Department of Public Safety to set up a tip line for the general public to present details about the whereabouts of absent House Democrats. US Sen. John Cornyn stated he has enlisted assist from FBI Director Kash Patel to help state regulation enforcement in monitoring down the absent lawmakers.
Abbott has additionally threatened vacancies and requested the state’s Supreme Court to declare vacant Wu’s seat, after he fled to Chicago with different state representatives.
Texas Democrats face monetary strain to return. Absent lawmakers are topic to a fantastic of $500 per day, they usually can not use their marketing campaign or official funds to cowl the penalties.
NCS’s Shania Shelton contributed to this report.