Abbott vows special session as Dems stall
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Gov. Greg Abbott said yesterday he'll call a second special session immediately if the Legislature adjourns early on Friday.
Why it matters: The partisan standoff over redistricting has left only the Senate functioning during the first special session, stalling other legislation like flood relief, THC regulations and more abortion-related restrictions.
Driving the news: The Texas House and Senate signaled they will adjourn Friday.
- "There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed," Abbott said.
State of play: All the legislation will restart next session — even measures the Texas Senate has passed but stalled in the House, including bills banning hemp-derived products, curbing property tax increases, limiting transgender bathroom use and barring tax-funded lobbying.
The big picture: Republicans are targeting five Democrat-controlled districts in Texas, including U.S. Rep. Al Green's seat in Houston, prompting Democrats to leave the state to break quorum.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare 13 state House seats vacant to reprimand Democrats who left the state.
- Four of the Texas House members targeted in Paxton's Supreme Court petition represent Houston-area districts: "Ringleader" Gene Wu, Ron Reynolds, Suleman Lalani and Christina Morales.
The other side: Democrats last night said that the timing of their return to Austin depends on the governor, speaker and Republican leaders choosing flood relief over redistricting.
- "We said we would defeat Abbott's first corrupt special session, and that's exactly what we're doing," Wu said in a statement yesterday.