Texas Democrats say they plan to end their nearly two-week walkout over redistricting plans in the state.
They say they'll return once Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ends a special session today. They also said they would return once California Gov. Gavin Newsom finalizes plans to retaliate. Newsom has said that California would redraw its districts to favor Democrats.
Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows stated that even though a special session is expected to end today, he expects a new special session to begin right away.
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"If we still do not have quorum on Friday, the House and the Senate will sine die this session, and the governor will immediately issue a proclamation for a second called special session," he said. "We will gavel in for the second session Friday and reestablish the call of the House. As a reminder, absent members remain subject to civil arrest. Let this be a warning to all opponent members. The second session is coming. It is time to get home and take your seats."
Abbott has said multiple times he fully intends to push through the Republicans' redistricting plans, which would give his party the advantage in five additional House seats.
New congressional seats are generally drawn every decade, one year after the decennial census. The last U.S. census was held in 2020, and most states did their redistricting in 2021. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump asked the Commerce Department to conduct another U.S. census, this time excluding individuals in the U.S. illegally. He believes this would result in fewer Democratic-held seats.
On Thursday, former President Barack Obama met with Texas Democrats, offering them encouragement in their opposition to redistricting.
“We can’t let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by," Obama told the lawmakers.
