Donald Trump‘s request for redistricting in Texas. Patricia Lim/KUT News” width=”1200″ height=”800″/>
Texas democrats are prepared to break quorum during the ongoing special legislative session, signaling a potential standoff over redistricting priorities. Austin Rep. Gina Hinojosa stated her readiness to leave the Capitol if necessary, a move aimed at disrupting the Republican-led agenda.
The session, which commenced on Monday, has seen Texas Democrats advocating for flood relief measures for the Hill Country to be addressed before any redistricting discussions. Though, with Republicans holding a majority in both chambers of the Texas Legislature, they possess the authority to bring redistricting bills to the floor first. This creates a political dilemma for Democrats, as departing before addressing flood relief could be perceived negatively by constituents impacted by the recent deadly july 4 floods.
Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, who attended a rally on Thursday, asserted that Democrats should not be held responsible for potential delays in passing flood-related legislation. He emphasized that the Republican majority dictates the legislative agenda. “If the flooding is important, let’s get to it right now,” O’Rourke stated at the rally. “You have our full attention. We will support that.” He further cautioned against what he described as Republicans “playing games” with redistricting to “maximize your political power – to deny the voters of Texas a free and fair election.”
