Texas Democrats say they will return to state once session ends, California unveils retaliatory map

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Texas House Democrats who left the state in protest of proposed congressional redistricting said Thursday they will return to the state after the Legislature adjourns Friday and California’s state lawmakers introduce a retaliatory redistricting map in their state assembly.

In a statement, members of the minority party said their lawyers had advised them to return “to build a strong public legislative record for the upcoming legal battle” against the proposed reconfiguration of Texas’ congressional districts. The new map, stalled since dozens of Democrats left the state Aug. 3, is designed to net the GOP five additional seats in the U.S. House. President Donald Trump pressured state leaders to undertake the effort mid-decade — a rarity — as the GOP tries to hold onto its thin majority in Congress.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who has asked the state’s Supreme Court to remove House Democratic Caucus leader Gene Wu from office, said earlier this week he would continue calling special legislative sessions — starting Friday after both chambers of the Legislature adjourn. House Speaker Dustin Burrows said he would gavel out for the session if the lower chamber continued to lack a quorum, or the minimum number of present members required to conduct business.

The House, which needs 100 of its 150 members present to establish a quorum, has not reached that threshold since most of the chamber’s 62 Democrats left the state for Chicago, Massachusetts and New York in an effort to stop the proposed redistricting. Democratic lawmakers say the new map is an attack on the representation of minority voters in the districts being redrawn, while Republicans have defended their right to redraw district lines for partisan gain whenever they want.

“Texas House Democrats broke quorum and successfully mobilized the nation against Trump's assault on minority voting rights," Wu, D-Houston, said in a statement. “Facing threats of arrest, lawfare, financial penalties, harassment, and bomb threats, we have stood firm in our fight against a proposed Jim Crow congressional district map.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday called a special election for a ballot measure to ask voters to approve a new congressional map to counter Texas’ effort. Earlier this week, Politico reported that California Democratic leaders said they had sufficient votes to pass the amendment.

“Trump’s election rigging comes to an end now,” Newsom said in a social media post. “California won’t stand by and watch Trump burn it all down — we are calling a special election to redraw our Congressional maps and defend fair representation. This is a five alarm fire for Democracy.”

Disclosure: Politico has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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