On Tuesday, Texas Senate Democrats managed to exit the floor without stopping the agency from advancing a new Congressional district plan.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives sought refuge in states like New York and Illinois to disrupt special sessions aimed at redrawing district lines, which would allow multiple U.S. House seats. The new congressional map passed with a 19-2 vote after nine Democrat senators chose to leave, according to reports from the Texas Tribune.
An interactive map on the Texas Tribune’s website shows that the new plan places Democratic lawmakers such as Henry Culler, Greg Cesar, Al Greene, and Julie Johnson in districts that voted at least 10.4% for the Democrats in the 2024 presidential election. Currently, Republicans hold 219 seats in the House of Representatives, while Democrats have 212, with four seats still vacant.
“We stand united with our Democratic colleagues in the House,” remarked Texas Sen. Carol Alvarado. “Our options for resistance in the Senate are quite limited, so we utilize every tool at our disposal.”
On Friday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced plans to petition the court to declare seats open for the Democrats who had fled the Texas House, accusing them of engaging in an “out-of-state rebellion.”
Texas Speaker Dustin Burrows outlined measures the legislature is taking in response to the Democrats’ exit during efforts to establish a quorum.
“I’ve put in place a policy stating that members won’t receive their salaries electronically if they are attempting to break quorum. While the Constitution sets rules, it does not specifically govern how wages are issued,” Burrows explained. “From now on, checks will need to be picked up at the Capitol, effective immediately.”
“Starting today, 30% of any quorum member’s monthly budget will be marked unavailable under Article 5 of the House Rules, which allows for fines against absent members. This is to safeguard taxpayer money and clarify future liabilities,” Burrows added. “Absent members must be present to approve any requests for travel reimbursements or changes to staff salaries.”
Republicans pointed to a recent electoral map to argue against the proposed restructuring, noting that California, after the 2024 election, has 43 Democrats compared to nine Republicans. This contrasts with the previous 40 Democrats and 12 Republicans after the mid-term elections.
New York updated its Congressional districts following the 2022 midterms, resulting in six of the 11 House Republicans being newly elected. After the 2024 election, Democrats held seven seats compared to Republicans.
Democrats in Illinois are also reforming their Congressional districts ahead of the 2022 midterms, which included two Republicans, one of whom was Adam Kinzinger, noted for his strong opposition to Trump. After losing a seat in the 2020 census, Illinois transitioned from 13 Democrats and five Republicans to 14 Democrats and three Republicans in the House after the midterms.
