Texas Democrats’ Walkout Fails to Halt Redistricting Push

AUSTIN, Texas (August 14, 2023) – Texas Democrats have once again left the state in an attempt to block a Republican-backed redistricting plan, but past precedent suggests the tactic will likely prove unsuccessful. The walkout, which began August 7th, centers on House Bill 1, which aims to redraw congressional maps.

This isn’t the first time Texas Democrats have employed this strategy. In 2003, they twice broke quorum – once traveling to Ardmore, Oklahoma, and later to Santa Fe, New mexico – to prevent the GOP from redrawing voting maps following the 2000 census. Despite these efforts, Republicans ultimately passed their desired maps. A similar situation unfolded in 2021 when Democrats departed in the final days of the regular legislative session to protest Senate Bill 1, an elections bill. that walkout lasted 38 days, but the bill was eventually passed in a subsequent special session.

The current special session, called by Governor Greg Abbott, is scheduled to end August 20th. However, abbott retains the power to call additional 30-day special sessions, ensuring the redistricting bill – and other legislative priorities – can be pursued until passed. The bill focuses on adding districts that Abbott claims better reflect the voting patterns of supporters of former President Donald trump,who won Texas by a significant margin in 2020 with 52.3% of the vote.

Democrats argue that the focus on redistricting is a misallocation of resources, particularly in the wake of devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country on July 4th that resulted in at least 136 fatalities, primarily in Kinney and Real Counties. state Representative Terry Canales (D-Edinburg) has been a vocal critic, stating the legislature should prioritize aid for flood victims over political maneuvering.

Governor Abbott defended the redistricting plan,asserting that drawing districts based on political affiliation is legal. “Gerrymandering…can be done on the basis of political makeup,” Abbott stated in a Fox News interview. He emphasized that the proposed districts align with areas where Trump secured victory in the 2020 election. Specifically, the proposed maps aim to create districts favorable to Republicans in rapidly growing suburban areas around Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.

The legal threshold for redistricting maps to be considered constitutional requires them to not discriminate against racial or ethnic groups. Challenges to the proposed maps are anticipated from voting rights groups, such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), who argue the maps dilute the voting power of minority communities. The U.S. Department of Justice is also reviewing the proposed maps for compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Washington; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Nadia Lathan in Austin, Texas; and Philip Marcelo in New York contributed to this report.