On Sunday, August 3, 2025, a majority of Democratic representatives from the Texas House embarked on a trip outside of the state. This strategic move aimed at inhibiting the passing of a proposed congressional map, which allegedly favors the Republican party with an additional five seats in the U.S. House for the upcoming year. It escalates the already high tension concerning potential consequences on next year’s midterm re-zoning across the nation. By leaving, the Democratic representatives obstruct the progress of the state’s Republican-dominated House, as they cannot conduct operations without a quorum – the minimum required members present as prescribed by the House’s rules.
According to the House’s statutes, it demands the attendance of at least 100 members from the total body of 150 to proceed with its session. Thus, an absence of 51 or more Democrats freezes the special legislative session underway. Expressing the gravity of the situation, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair, Gene Wu, stated that their decision was enforced by unequivocal moral rectitude. Wu blamed Gov. Greg Abbott for allegedly attempting to suppress the voices of millions of African-American and Latino Texans with a deliberately biased map, in an endeavor to execute an unethical political pact.
The majority of the House Democrats charted their course to Chicago on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, other representatives set their path towards New York, where they planned to meet with Gov. Kathy Hochul. Gov. Hochul has previously criticized Texas’ redistricting attempts mid-decade and proposed retaliation with new maps for her own state. Another group of representatives journeyed to Boston in order to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual legislative summit, accompanied by a few Senate Democrats. However, information about how many Senate Democrats had left or whether they planned to deny a quorum in the upper chamber was not revealed.
The unusual departure of the Democrats has put the status of the Texas’ two-week remaining special session into question. This session sees Abbott presenting other legislative measures, such as responses to the destructive July 4 Hill Country floods, drafting stricter regulations for consumable hemp, and enforcing divisive GOP viewpoints on issues like regulation of abortion pills and the dictate of gender-specific restrooms. However, with the absence of the Democrats, the fate of these proposed measures, together with the new congressional map, is currently uncertain.
The Chair of the House Democratic Caucus was adamant about the cessation of the special session. However, during a press conference with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Wu did not provide clear details on the long-term plans of the Democrats, stating that they were still facing each day as it comes. In contrast, Abbott responded by sending letters to the departed members late Sunday, warning them he would endeavor to have them legally removed from their posts if they refused to return to Austin.
The governor further mentioned a nonbinding legal opinion from 2021 by Attorney General Ken Paxton. According to Paxton, deciding whether a legislator forfeits their seat by vacating the state to prevent a quorum, is a matter to be evaluated by a court. Paxton’s opinion suggested that if the court ruled that the legislators had abandoned their duties, Abbott could then potentially appoint replacements of his choosing.
The mid-decade redistricting plan, called for by then-President Donald Trump, was severely criticized by Democrats. They view it as a stealthy political maneuver to illegally suppress the votes of citizens of color ahead of a challenging midterm season for the Republicans. Nevertheless, without wielding significant authority in the Legislature, Democrats have limited means to counter this effort. Still, they pledge to delay the adoption of the map and utilize the surplus time to enlighten Texans about the perceived assault on democracy.
The escalated measure to prevent a quorum emerged just before the map was due to appear on the House floor. The redistricting plan, touted by Republicans, advanced from a House committee on Saturday morning and was slated for a floor vote on Monday. There’s a potential for Democrats to prolong their absence beyond the duration of the current legislative session, running the 30-day clock out. However, Abbott holds the right to summon lawmakers back for subsequent sessions.
The reactive move by Democrats might prove costly, both personally and financially, due to initiatives adopted by Republicans in 2023. These provisions were instituted after Democratic representatives left in 2021 to block novel voting restrictions and entail a daily fine of $500 and the possibility of arrest for each legislator who absconds. Additionally, House rules restrict the use of campaign funds by lawmakers to compensate for these fines.
Wu recognized the financial burden and personal hardships that prolonged stays in Illinois could pose at Sunday’s press conference. Adding to this, he highlighted that as part-time legislators, their salaries amount to merely $600 per month, which would impose more economic strain on them. Wu reflected on the sacrifices made, especially being away from their families for an extended period, in addition to missing work and losing income, underscoring the seriousness of their decision.
Pritzker’s involvement was initiated during a late June dinner hosted by Oklahoma Democrats, where he explored options to assist Texas Democrats resist the redistricting plan. This conversation was held with the state party chair Kendall Scudder, divulges a source close to the Illinois governor. Paxton, in a public statement made on Sunday, referred to the absconding Democrats as cowards, demanding their immediate arrest and return to the Capitol.
The Republican party has shown their support for decisive actions against missing members. Among them is Rep. Jared Patterson, who expressed doubt about whether all Democrats involved in destroying the quorum were truly out of state. He urged House Speaker, Dustin Burrows, to direct the House sergeant-at-arms or state law enforcement to track down any absentee lawmakers. Patterson further recommended Abbott, with his control over the special sessions’ agenda, to allow redrawing of state House districts to penalize the absent Democrats.
Trump’s political team exerted pressure on state leaders to redraw the map so that Republicans could acquire up to five new seats in Texas. This additional buffer aims to protect GOP’s marginal majority in the U.S. House ahead of potential losses in the upcoming midterm elections. They fear these might favor Democrats. The first map draft was revealed on Wednesday, pinpointing Democratic members around Austin, Dallas, Houston, and South Texas. Although partisan gain is permitted under federal law, the Voting Rights Act forbids diminishing the vote power of people of color. Democrats argue that the new proposal unjustly clusters people of color into some constituencies while dissipating others, thus limiting their ability to select preferred representatives.
The post Texas Democrats Flee State to Thwart Redistricting Efforts appeared first on Real News Now.
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