AUSTIN (Nexstar) — For the sixth consecutive time the Texas House failed to reach the 100 member quorum needed to conduct business Friday morning, falling five members short as Democratic lawmakers remained out of state to block Republican redistricting plans.
True to their word, Republican leadership officially ended the first special session after just minutes and immediately launched a second special session Friday afternoon, with Gov. Greg Abbott expanding the agenda to include youth camp safety measures in addition to the 18 original items.
“Do not go very far,” House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, warned lawmakers before ending the first session, signaling the quick turnaround that followed.
The failed first special session leaves significant business unfinished, including relief for the victims of the Hill Country floods that killed more than 100 people over the July 4 weekend.
“It’s incredibly disappointing. We have people that need resources right now. We have some funding in some of those bills that I think would be critical,” said State Rep. Wes Virdell, R-Brady, who represents flood affected areas.
Second session launches with same agenda
More than 190 bills have already been filed in the new special session, including a similar congressional redistricting proposal that sparked the Democratic exodus. The plan would redraw Texas’s 38 congressional districts to give Republicans an advantage in picking up five additional House seats, with only a slight adjustment made to the West Texas portion of the map.
State Rep. Ann Johnson, D-Houston, is currently the only confirmed Democrat planning to return to Texas.
“All of us were able to stay together and see the end of this first session come to an end. We did exactly what we said we needed to do, and that is bringing a spotlight on this issue,” said Rep. Josey Garcia, D-San Antonio, speaking Thursday about the quorum break strategy.
National redistricting battle escalates
The Texas standoff has triggered a national redistricting race, with California preparing to release its own redistricting proposal on Monday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his state will not back down from its gerrymandering efforts while Republican states pursue similar tactics.
“We’re not waiting and we’re not anticipating that the states will be passive, particularly with the directive coming from President Donald Trump,” Newsom said.
Abbott dismissed California’s threats, calling Newsom “all talk and no action,” while hinting Friday that he may expand Texas’s redistricting efforts to include state House districts as well.
“We hold a lot more bullets in our belt that we’ll be ready to use when [we] need to,” Abbott said at a Friday press conference.
House Republicans said they are confident the chamber will have a quorum when the second special session convenes Monday, though it remains unclear how many Democrats plan to return.
The second session can last up to 30 days, with all bills needing to be refiled and the legislative process starting over completely.