Texas governor tees up another special session to take up Republicans' redistricting plan

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced he will “immediately” call another special session, following through on his threat to keep the legislature in session as long as it takes to redraw the state’s congressional maps.

The Republican governor said he will kick off a second special session as soon as the GOP-led House and Senate adjourn from the current special session, which was stymied by runaway Democrats.

“With the Texas House and Senate today announcing they are prepared to sine die on Friday, I will call the Texas Legislature back immediately for Special Session #2,” Mr. Abbott said in a statement. “The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda, with the potential to add more items critical to Texans.”

“There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them,” he said. “I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.”

The chief item on the governor’s to-do list is shepherding through a new congressional map that is expected to help Republicans net five more seats, and increase their chances of defending their slim majority in the U.S. House in midterm elections next year.

Democrats have responded furiously, accusing Republicans of bowing to the anti-Democratic demands of President Trump and trying to rig the elections.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, warned he will lead an effort to rework the map in his state if Texas Republicans refuse to back down.

The Texas legislature is also expected to take up relief funding for the areas impacted by the storms last month that left more than 100 people dead, a proposed ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, and “legislation protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.”

Those efforts stalled out after Texas Democrats bolted to take refuge in blue states, preventing the legislature from having the quorum it needed to act.

The Democratic pushback is expected to buckle in a second special session thanks to the pressure of lawsuits and fines over their decision to skip the state.