(C) Texas Tribune This story was originally published by Texas Tribune and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Blast - August 15, 2025 [1] ['The Texas Tribune'] Date: 2025-08 Day 12 of the quorum break 29 days until sine die 85 days until the candidate filing period begins 115 days until the candidate filing deadline ABORTION PILL BILL, BATHROOM BILL, PROPERTY TAX BREAKS A resolution to the Texas House quorum break is within sight. The Legislature has adjourned the first special session sine die and reconvened for another one. Texas House Democrats have two conditions for their return, and neither ask much of Texas Republicans. Both conditions were already the current plan. The Legislature adjourning sine die today (check) The unveiling of California’s proposed retaliatory maps California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Golden State will unveil the plan for its maps on Monday, suggesting that’s the day the Democrats will return. That was the word within today’s Texas House Republican Caucus meeting, too. With California picking up the redistricting fight, Texas Democrats can hand off the baton and return to Texas, where they say they will help create a legal record for when the maps are inevitably challenged in court. Politically, House Democrats’ conditions are a face-saving offramp from a quorum break that may not have survived a second special session. When calling the new session to order today, House Speaker Dustin Burrows tried to frame it as a blessing in disguise. By starting a new special session, the Legislature now has 30 more days to pass its bills instead of by Monday, the original sine die date. “When the new session begins, we will be able to move immediately to pass a strong pro-life bill, to protect women’s spaces and more property tax protections without the threat of procedural gamesmanship getting in the way,” Burrows said. “That’s a win for the unborn, women and all of Texas.” It was the first time Burrows has publicly said the House intends to take up the abortion pill bill and the bathroom bill. For those clamoring to punish Democrats, that could be the potential retribution for breaking quorum. In recent days, Gov. Greg Abbott had suggested that Texas could push its congressional maps to 10 new GOP seats if California and Democratic states try to counter Texas’ redistricting. But during a press conference today, the governor suggested that might be unnecessary. “According to Politico, two-thirds of the state disagree with him on that, and for him to go to get anything passed is have two-thirds of the state agree with him on it,” Abbott said of Newsom. “It’s a joke. He’s posturing for the presidency and doing nothing more than that. He’s all talk and no action.” Abbott is referencing this poll, conducted July 28 to Aug. 12, which asked registered California voters whether they would prefer keeping the independent redistricting commission or returning authority to the Legislature. The pollsters did not add the context that Newsom likes to add, that California’s retaliatory redistricting would be a temporary measure. However, the threshold to pass the referendum statewide may not be two-thirds like Abbott said. Constitutional amendments traditionally need only a simple majority to pass the California ballot. Still, some Texas House Republicans say the Texas Legislature should be more aggressive. “I believe very strongly that what we proposed already is moderate, balanced, conservative,” Texas House Republican Caucus Chair Tom Oliverson told The Blast. “But if the response that we’re going to get from blue states is they want to be hyper aggressive and hyper partisan, we can do that too.” Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican and a Burrows ally, called for the Legislature to pass a map with nine or 10 new GOP seats — and to take up state House and Senate redistricting. On Saturday, Texas GOP Chair Abraham George relayed a relevant tidbit from the State Republican Executive Committee’s meeting with Abbott and House leadership at the Governor’s Mansion, suggesting legislative redistricting had been on Abbott’s mind. “My understanding is there are about 20-plus coalition districts in the Texas House today,” George told SREC members. “It doesn’t have to be, like the governor said this morning. We want to start messaging that that needs to be redrawn to political districts, not coalition districts. We are absolutely against DEI in the Texas Republican Party, so we just don’t need DEI districts either.” Ken Paxton adviser Michelle Smith posted 22 majority-minority state legislative districts. Asked about state legislative redistricting at today’s press conference, Abbott left the option on the table. [END] --- [1] Url: https://thetexastribune.beehiiv.com/p/the-blast-august-15-2025-c8f7cab31f83c6d7 Published and (C) by Texas Tribune Content appears here under this condition or license: Used with Permission: https://www.texastribune.org/republishing-guidelines/. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/texastribune/