Texas Republicans dare Democrats to stay out of state another month

Texas Republicans said Tuesday that they would kick off a second special legislative session Friday to redraw the state’s congressional maps in favor of the GOP, putting pressure on absent Democrats to quickly return to the state or commit to remaining away for another month.

Dozens of Democrats in the Texas House fled the state last week to block a Republican plan to shift five congressional districts sharply to the right ahead of next year’s midterm elections. They have said they are committed to staying away long enough to kill the measure during a special session slated to last until as late as Aug. 19.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) said Tuesday that if Democrats do not return by Friday, Republican lawmakers will end the special session that day. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said he would immediately call a new 30-day special session, which Burrows would gavel in later Friday.

The move essentially restarts the clock, forcing Democrats to decide whether they’re willing to stay away for another four weeks – or longer. Democrats have not said whether they would stay away beyond the current special session. Abbott said Tuesday that he will keep calling special sessions until the Democrats come back.

“There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them,” Abbott said in a statement.

Abbott called the special session last month to change the state’s congressional maps and respond to the July 4 floods that killed more than 135 people, including many children. Republicans have blamed Democrats for stalling action on the flooding legislation, while Democrats have said Republicans have prioritized political maps over flood relief.

Democratic state legislators said they would not return before Friday but did not signal what they would do beyond then. Texas state House Minority Leader Gene Wu (D) in a statement said Abbott should “stop playing political games” and focus on flood relief.

To show they were committed to passing a new map, Republicans in the state Senate approved it Tuesday even though the measure cannot advance in the House. Nine of the 11 Democrats in the state Senate boycotted Tuesday’s session, saying in a statement they “refuse to engage in a corrupt process.” The walkout by the Senate Democrats was not enough to block passage of the map in that chamber.

States ordinarily draw new congressional maps every 10 years after each census. Establishing new lines in the middle of a decade is unusual. Republicans have said they’re drawing the new lines for political gain, with President Donald Trump saying he’s “entitled” to more seats in Congress.

The dispute in Texas has kicked off a nationwide fight, with Democrats in California saying they will put forward plans next week to change the lines in their state. Republican and Democratic leaders in other states have also threatened to draw new maps.

Republicans hold a 219-212 majority in the U.S. House, which with four vacancies, and a small shift in seats could determine who controls the chamber after next year’s elections.

Abbott has asked the state Supreme Court to remove the top Democrat in the state House from office, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has asked it to remove another dozen Democrats. The court on Monday asked for briefs focused on the provisions of the state constitution that allow the legislature to compel absent lawmakers to attend sessions, the ability of the legislature to judge the qualifications of its members and the power of the legislature to expel members.

In a sign that the court may not rule immediately, it asked for initial briefs by Aug. 20 and final briefs by Sept. 4.