Redistricting takes center stage on day one of special session

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Lawmakers returned to the Texas State Capitol on Monday to begin the process of passing legislation not addressed during this year's regular legislative session, among other items. Gov. Greg Abbott called the special session and added 18 agenda items for the legislature to address.

While relief packages and regulations following the deadly Independence Day Floods were at the top of that list, lawmakers will not begin to discuss those bills until committee hearings Wednesday. Instead, Democrats focused on the topic of redrawing the Texas congressional maps.

Democrats in both the House and Senate held media conferences to voice their opposition to the mid-decade redistricting, and Democratic senators spent hours questioning Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, as he prepares to chair the Senate's committee on redistricting.

King introduced Senate Resolution 5, to suspend rules and allow the consideration of new congressional maps, which would take effect for the 2026 midterms. But before King could even move forward with reading the resolution's text, he received immediate pushback from Democrats.

The Democratic senators specifically pointed out that during the 2021 regularly-scheduled redistricting, the GOP insisted that the maps were drawn without considerations for the race of voters within any given district. Now, the maps are being reconsidered by Republicans over accusations from the Trump Department of Justice that they illegally discriminated on racial lines.

Even as Democrats pushed King repeatedly to defend the GOP effort, King responded to questioning by insisting that he did not have an opinion one way or the other, merely an obligation to consider an item added to the special session agenda by the governor.

"We're responding to the governor's call to take up redistricting in the special session and we have under consideration the resolution that allows us to begin that process," King said.

Democrats also pushed repeatedly on the issue of whether to have the redistricting committee hearings in Austin, regionally or virtually. King said that virtual hearings would allow greater transparency because they can be viewed from anywhere. Democrats raised concerns about internet access for those who want to testify.

Though there was no action on the House floor, Democrats in the lower chamber discussed their strategy moving forward on how to combat the redistricting effort. One proposed option is breaking quorum by leaving the state. Quorum is the number of members required for each chamber to meet, and if enough Democrats leave, the legislature would not be able to meet to vote on new maps.

At the media conference, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, said the party has a "multi-step plan" to combat the redistricting.

"We will need to buy time, and that means keeping everything on the table, doing whatever it takes," Casar said. "Filibusters, dragging out hearings, quorum breaks [are] the kinds of tactics that will make sure that we have the time to highlight these issues in front of everyday Americans."

Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, said after the House adjourned Monday that every Democratic member of Congress he has spoken to has told the party to break quorum. Reynolds published an op-ed calling for such action in the name of the late Civil Rights activist John Lewis.

The strategy of quorum breaking has been used by Democrats before, but financial penalties have now been passed since. Attorney General Ken Paxton said Democratic members who leave the state should be arrested.

"We are watching to see if they are going to listen to the people when they demand action, or will they serve themselves. Democrats are going to keep all options open," said Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, and House Democrats' conference chair.

Multiple Democratic members accused the Republicans of prioritizing redistricting over response to flooding. Wu said ahead of the Senate convening that he is watching to see which item the Republicans will take up first.

The joint select committees to address flooding are scheduled to meet Wednesday morning at the Capitol. Lawmakers have up to 30 days to approve items in special session, including approving new congressional maps.