Latest news with #GinaHinojosa
Atlantic
3 days ago
- Politics
- Atlantic
The Flaw in the Texas Democrats' Plan
Texas state Democrats had been plotting their departure for weeks. But most weren't sure they were going—or where they were headed—until just before they boarded their plane. For a successful quorum break, the timing 'has to be ripe,' State Representative Gina Hinojosa told me. 'Like a melon at the grocery store.' On Sunday, she and dozens of her colleagues hopped on a chartered plane and flew to Chicago in an attempt to prevent Texas Republicans from redrawing the state's congressional maps. They don't seem to know how long they'll be there or when, exactly, they'll consider the job done. Perhaps, Hinojosa suggested, they can attract enough attention to the issue that Republicans will be shamed into abandoning the effort. Shame, however, is not an emotion experienced by many politicians these days, least of all ones who answer to Donald Trump. The likeliest conclusion of this effort is that Republicans will get their wish, just as they did after a similar situation in 2021. Right now, the Texas Democrats' quorum-break project appears to have two goals, one much more easily accomplished than the other. The first is to send a message; the gerrymandering attempt in Texas is a chance for Democrats nationwide to accuse Republicans of cheating, and to demonstrate a bit of the gumption their voters have been clamoring for. Because the party is effectively leaderless, now is a perfect moment for wannabe standard-bearers to soak up some of the limelight. Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, for example, has made a lot of speeches and trolled Republicans; so has New York Governor Kathy Hochul. And tonight, California Governor Gavin Newsom will host Hinojosa and other Texas Democrats in Sacramento for a press conference. The second, more practical objective is to run down the clock. If Texas Democrats can stay out of state long enough, they could make it difficult for Republicans to implement the new district maps ahead of the first 2026 election deadlines. This goal is optimistic, experts I interviewed said. Living in a hotel for weeks is expensive, and resources will eventually dry up. Pressure is mounting from Republican leaders. 'And there's a stamina factor at play that can't be avoided,' Brandon Rottinghaus, a political-science professor at the University of Houston, told me. It seems, he added, 'inevitable that the new maps pass.' State Democrats have only been on the run for five days in the Chicago area (as well as in New York and Massachusetts). The public is still interested, and Democrats have plenty of opportunities to shape the media narrative. 'Democratic voters are paying attention,' Joshua Blank, the research director of the nonpartisan Texas Politics Project, told me. 'Having something to rally around is very, very useful for them.' Republicans have not tried to deny that they're making a blatant power grab, though they argue that they're simply following the lead of Democrats in heavily gerrymandered states such as Illinois. 'It's just unilateral disarmament if you don't match what Democrats have done on the other side,' Matt Mackowiak, a Texas Republican strategist who is working on Senator John Cornyn's reelection campaign, told me. (The difference is that in Texas, they're redrawing the maps five years early, rather than waiting for the Census.) But quorum breaks are, by nature, temporary. Eventually, the wayward lawmakers will go home. What matters is when. The candidate-filing deadline for the 2026 election is December 8, and the primary is in March, so theoretically, if lawmakers can stay out of state for multiple months, Republicans might run into legal problems getting their new map in place. One problem with the run-down-the-clock strategy is that, in the past, Texas courts have simply postponed the state's primary while congressional maps were being litigated. (That delay likely contributed to Ted Cruz's 2012 Senate victory.) Another challenge is keeping up the political will; as time drags on, Texas voters will want their representatives to come home and do their job. Then, there are the logistical issues. A long quorum break means that Texas Democrats spend weeks or months living in a hotel, away from their families and racking up bills. Many of those state lawmakers have jobs outside politics—jobs that might not be well suited to working remotely from a hotel conference room. A few members brought small children with them to Chicago, Hinojosa told me, and some of those children will probably have to be back in school soon. 'We've seen it before,' Rottinghaus said. 'The biggest pull for members to come back isn't always the politics; it's most often the personal.' When I asked Texas Representative Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos how long she was willing to stay in Chicago, she told me that she understands the burden this puts on families; her own daughter is recovering from a liver transplant. 'Am I prepared for two weeks? Three weeks? What is the alternative?' she asked. 'If this is a sacrifice that we need to make, then it's the sacrifice that has to be made.' But two or three weeks probably won't be enough. (It's possible, Rodríguez Ramos suggested, that the state's 11 Senate Democrats, who remain in-state, could take their own turn breaking quorum; only one chamber needs to do so to stop legislation from being passed.) Texas Governor Greg Abbott's threats complicate the picture. This morning, he suggested that if Democrats 'don't start showing up,' Republicans will add a few more GOP seats to the new map. He has promised to fine the runaway Democrats $500 each for every day that they're gone, and to go after any groups raising money for them. Abbott has also suggested that he'll kick the Democrats out of their seats in the legislature—although, experts say he does not have the power to do so directly. Earlier this week, the state house issued civil-arrest warrants for the rogue Democrats, and yesterday, Cornyn announced that the FBI had agreed to 'locate' them. Although FBI involvement might seem far-fetched, 'there's very little that restricts' the agency, Michael German, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and former FBI agent, told me. The bureau could share information with local law enforcement, he said. A single one of these variables is not likely to shatter the Texas Democrats' resolve, but over time, the pressure adds up. After making headlines for a few weeks, Democrats will probably be squeezed dry, emotionally and financially. A few will return home, and then, eventually, they all will. The new GOP district map will pass, perhaps in a slightly altered form, and Republicans will have what they've been fighting for: a few more GOP congressional districts, perhaps just enough to preserve the party's narrow hold on the House of Representatives through what might be a tough midterm election. But Texas Democrats aren't willing to entertain that possibility just yet. In Chicago, members are reassessing the situation each day, Hinojosa told me. To sum up the general attitude, she paraphrased former Texas Governor Ann Richards. 'All we have is the here and now,' she said, 'and if we play it right, it's all we need.' A more realistic view of the situation might be that Democrats are seizing the moment because they know it's fleeting.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TribCast: How long can Texas Democrats hold out?
In this week's episode of our podcast, Matthew and Eleanor speak with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, about her and her colleagues' decision to flee the state, the potential financial and criminal penalties and her opposition to the state's proposed new congressional map. Watch the video above, or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday. The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 13–15. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Here are the Texas House Democrats who broke quorum
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — At least 51 Democratic representatives in the Texas House left Texas Sunday to block a vote Monday on redrawn maps of the state's U.S. congressional districts. Abbott threatens absent House Democrats with removal, felony charges During Tuesday's session of the House, the total number of total number of Democratic quorum breakers was 54, two fewer than Monday's 56. In total, 62 Democrats hold seats in the 89th Texas House of Representatives, according to the Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Not sure who your state legislators are? The Texas Capitol has a tool to help you find out. Here's who did not show up at the Capitol at 1 p.m. Tuesday: Gina Hinojosa – D49 Ron Reynolds – D27 James Talarico – D50 Ann Johnson – D134 Gene Wu – D137 John Bucy – D136 Trey Martinez Fischer – D116 Josey Garcia – D124 Diego Bernal – D123 Toni Rose – D110 Jon Rosenthal – D135 Jalonda Jones – D147 Venton Jones – D100 Rafael Anchia – D103 Sheryl Cole – D46 Ramon Romero – D90 Nicole Collier – D95 Harold Dutton – D142 Chris Turner – D101 Linda Garcia – D107 Charlene Ward Johnson – D139 Jessica González – D104 Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos – D102 Lauren Ashley Simmons – D146 Donna Howard – D48 Lulu Flores – D51 Vikki Goodwin – D47 Cassandra Garcia Hernandez – D115 Mihaela Plesa – D70 Suleman Lalani – D76 Ray López – D125 Christina Morales – D145 Barbara Gervin-Hawkins – D120 John Bryant – D114 Rhetta Bowers – D113 Terry Meza – D105 Aicha Davis – D109 Elizabeth Campos – D119 Alma Allen – D131 Ana Hernandez – D143 Salman Bhojani – D92 Erin Gamez – D38 Christian Manuel – D22 Vincent Perez – D77 Mary Gonzalez – D75 Claudia Ordaz – D79 Penny Morales-Shaw – D148 Senfronia Thompson – D141 Hubert Vo – D149 Yvonne Davis – D111 Erin Zwiener – D45 Armando Walle – D140 Bobby Guerra – D41 Mary Ann Perez – D144 In the end, Democrats present in the House Chamber Tuesday were Reps. Terry Canales, Oscar Longoria, Armando Martinez, Sergio Muñoz, Philip Cortez, Eddie Morales, Joe Moody and Richard Peña Raymond. Cortez and Morales were not present during Monday's session. KXAN reached out to all Texas House Democrats before 1 p.m. Monday.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greg Abbott Moves to Rig the Midterms Amid Texas Floods
Governor Greg Abbot is trying to further gerrymander Texas while his state recovers from some of the deadliest flooding in its history. On Wednesday, Abbot told state lawmakers to begin the redistricting process as he positions Republicans to maintain control of the House in 2026. This directive has come straight from President Trump, who is desperately urging states to find ways to create more Republican seats under the guise that the current maps are 'unconstitutional.' Abbot's directive has drawn the ire of leaders across the state—as well as nationally. 'While Texans battle tragic and deadly flooding, Governor Abbott and House Republicans are plotting a mid-decade gerrymander,' Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote Wednesday on X. 'They should be modernizing emergency response—not rigging maps.' Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa described the move as a 'blatant partisan power grab.' 'I've been disappointed in this governor before. But I've never been so thoroughly disgusted,' Hinojosa said. 'The governor is so heartless as to do this right now?' At least 120 people have been confirmed dead in the flash flooding, and at least 170 are still missing at the time of this writing. And while Republicans across the country chide Democrats, calling their legitimate questions around emergency response an attempt to 'politicize' the situation, the governor himself is more concerned with politics as usual.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers give initial approval to abolish STAAR test
The Brief Initial approval was given to a Texas bill that would abolish the STAAR test HB 4 would replace the STAAR test. And, the TEA would need to adopt a test with nationally comparative results The bill still needs approval in the Texas Senate AUSTIN, Texas - Texas lawmakers have given initial approval to a bill that would abolish the STAAR test. The backstory The STAAR test is a statewide, standardized test for students in public schools, and it contributes to the state's A-F accountability ratings. House Bill 4 would replace the STAAR test. And, the Texas Education Agency would need to adopt a test with nationally comparative results. Lawmakers said they want less standardized testing and shorter tests that have more of a focus on the earlier grade levels. The legislation comes as a few Austin ISD schools, including Dobie Middle School, need to implement turnaround plans due to poor ratings. What they're saying "When you're spending 17–18 days in preparation for that one test that one day, you are gobbling up valuable instruction time. This will reduce that time and make it more student-centered and teacher-centered," said Rep. Brad Buckley, (R) Salado. "Parents and Texans across the state have lost faith in an accountability system that's just gone astray, and this is setting us back to fairness," said Rep. Gina Hinojosa, (D) Austin. What's next HB 4 still needs approval in the Texas Senate. If passed and signed by Gov. Abbott, it would take effect in the fall. That would mean the STAAR test would not be conducted next school year. The Source Information from the Texas legislative session
