Discussion Thread: Texas House Holds Special Session and Texas Legislative Democrats Hold News Conference Amid Texas Republican Redistricting Plans

C-SPAN's description in advance of the legislative session is: "The Texas House of Representatives gavels in for a fourth attempt at a vote on a new congressional map for the state. Most Democrats left Texas to try and block the map designed to boost the GOP's chances of holding the House in 2026's midterms."

News and Analysis

• AP: Texas Legislature to take another swing at redistricting vote as Democrats extend their walkout

• Texas Tribune: Ken Paxton asks Texas Supreme Court to expel 13 House Democrats over redistricting standoff | Gov. Greg Abbott previously asked the court to expel Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader. Paxton disputed the governor’s authority to make the request.

• AP: Why dozens of Democrats left Texas and how Republicans want to punish them

• Texas Tribune: Texas House issues arrest warrants for Democrats who left state to block congressional redistricting | The warrants apply only within state lines, making them largely symbolic as most of the legislators in question decamped to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts.

• NPR: Texas Democrats walked out to block the GOP. How well has the tactic worked before?

• USA Today: Texas Democrats fled the state to oppose GOP redistricting. Why this one stayed behind. | In 2003, Texas Rep. Richard Peña Raymond battled a Republican redistricting plan all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, he's doing it again. But as fellow Democrats fled the state, he stayed.

Live Updates

Text-based live updates are being provided by: The Texas Tribune.

Where to Watch

• AP via YouTube: Texas Democrats, Sen. Dick Durbin hold press conference on redistricting map

• C-SPAN: Texas House of Reps. Holds Special Session Amid GOP Redistricting Plans