The Texas redistricting showdown reaches a critical moment

CNN

3 hours ago

The next flashpoint in the redistricting standoff between Texas Democrats and Republicans is hours away.
Republicans in the state House will convene and attempt to advance efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps, producing as many as five more US House seats for Republicans and handing President Donald Trump a major victory ahead of the midterms. But it's still unclear whether enough Democrats will be on hand to establish a quorum.
Both parties are at a crossroads. If Republicans can't move forward Friday, they may not have enough time to pass the new maps before the end of a 30-day special session, requiring Gov. Greg Abbott to call a new one. Dozens of Democrats, meanwhile, face a decision about how long to stay out of Texas without a clear endgame.
Republicans have ramped up their pressure campaign on the absent lawmakers since the state House last failed to reach quorum on Tuesday. They have gone to court to try to remove the House Democratic leader from his seat, threatened bribery charges and opened investigations against groups supporting the lawmakers, and attempted to enlist the FBI.
Texas House Democrats have shown little public desire to return to the state Capitol. But just a few defections from the boycott could give Republicans the votes they need.
Here is a look at what happens next.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said the chamber will reconvene at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) to move ahead with legislative business, including redistricting.
At least 12 Democrats would need to be present to meet quorum. As of Thursday, dozens appeared to remain outside of the state. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to host some Texas Democrats on Friday afternoon for an event in Sacramento.
In a call with reporters, Texas Democratic Rep. Armando Walle, who is from the Houston area, said he believed the majority of his colleagues remain committed to staying out of state until the end of session.
Republicans could move quickly to a vote in the House. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the state Senate, has said he intends to consider the maps next week.
Burrows, Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have all promised to punish Democrats who don't show up.
'The members who fled have been given ample time and opportunity to return on their own accord, and because they have continued to refuse their responsibilities to their constituents and return to Texas, the state has no choice but to pursue additional legal remedies to compel their return from other states,' Burrows said.
Earlier this week, Burrows signed civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats. On Thursday evening, Paxton filed an emergency petition in Illinois' Eighth Circuit Court to make the Texas arrest warrants enforceable in the state of Illinois, where dozens of Texas Democrats traveled this week.
The court is based in Quincy, Illinois, some 300 miles from the Chicago area where the Democrats are staying.
Paxton also threatened 'aggressive legal action' against Democrats who do not return by the Friday deadline. 'Starting Friday, any rogue lawmakers refusing to return to the House will be held accountable for vacating their office,' Paxton said.
Abbott already filed an emergency petition with the state's Supreme Court to declare vacant the seat of state Rep. Gene Wu, a House Democrat who fled to Chicago on Sunday. The Texas Supreme Court has set a Friday deadline for Wu to respond.
And US Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday that he had enlisted help from FBI Director Kash Patel to assist state law enforcement in tracking down the absent lawmakers. Patel offered agents from the FBI's Austin and San Antonio offices, Cornyn said in a radio interview.
Notably, Cornyn and Paxton are competing against each other in the Republican primary for US Senate.
Texas Democrats could also soon face financial pressures. Absent Democrats are subject to a fine of $500 per day, and lawmakers cannot use their campaign or official funds to cover their own fines. State House members in Texas earn $7,200 a year.
Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke has said he is raising funds for the Democratic members who left the state. At the same time, Paxton announced potential bribery investigations into the fundraising efforts of Powered By People, O'Rourke's political action committee in the state, and Texas Majority PAC, which is backed by the liberal billionaire donor George Soros.
'We have all committed to staying out of the state capital until this corrupt special session ends in two weeks. And that's not easy to do,' Texas state Rep. James Talarico said on a livestream with MoveOn, a progressive organization. 'We are facing fines of $500 a day, which we're going to have to pay ourselves. That's not going to be easy for us to do that, but we're willing to because of the importance of this fight.'
Talarico noted the quorum break keeps lawmakers away from their day jobs and families and can rack up expenses on food, lodging, and travel for lawmakers and their staff.
Katherine Fischer, director of the Texas Majority PAC, accused Paxton and Abbott of having 'bent the knee to DC and failed the people of Texas.'
'This investigation is a sham,' Fischer said. 'We won't back down.'
Abbott said there is a 'dragnet' taking place to find Democrats currently in the state, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety.
'Texas DPS and the FBI are tracking down the derelict Democrats. They will be taken directly to the Texas Capitol,' he said on X. 'Those who received benefits for skipping a vote face removal from office and potential bribery charges.'
But it's unclear whether the FBI has mobilized any resources to aid state law enforcement's efforts. Democrats, including Wu, who chairs the Texas House Democratic caucus, and some legal experts have argued the FBI does not have jurisdiction in a state-level case. Law enforcement in Texas would likely not be able to arrest people outside the state on the civil arrest warrants Burrows signed.
'We know that the governor has no power outside of the state, and we know that the federal government cannot get involved in this unless there is a legal reason why they are allowed to get involved,' Wu told CNN's Pamela Brown.
Some Democratic lawmakers said they received a security briefing on Thursday but would not detail what was discussed. A delegation of Texas House Democrats had to evacuate their hotel in Illinois Wednesday morning due to a potential bomb threat.
Both Democratic- and Republican-led states are under pressure to redraw their maps and respond to Texas' mid-decade redistricting. California's Newsom has announced a plan to push for a map that could erase up to five GOP-held seats if the Texas plan passes. And Vice President JD Vance went Thursday to Indiana to meet with Republican leaders about trying to squeeze out one or both of the state's US House Democrats.
Abbott has vowed to 'get these maps passed regardless of how long the Democrats hold out.'
'We do expect a quorum to be coming sometime soon but listen if it's not, we're not afraid because a special session lasts 30 days, and I will be calling special session after special session,' Abbott said in a Fox News interview Thursday.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who has welcomed the Texas Democrats to his state, has accused Republicans threatening law enforcement action of attempting to 'thwart democracy.'
'So as far as I'm concerned, we're doing the right thing, and I'm proud of it, and I'm not going to back down,' Pritzker said at a press conference. 'We're going to do everything we can to protect these Texas House Democrats and to help them do what they're doing.'