The Daily Populous Wednesday August 13rd, 2025 evening edition
Authored by abcnews.go.com and submitted by CrackHeadRodeo

The legislators say they feel like they accomplished their mission.

Texas House Democrats who left the state to prevent a vote on new congressional maps will return to Texas, feeling they have accomplished their mission of killing the first special session, raising awareness and sparking national backlash about the mid-decade redistricting, multiple sources confirmed to ABC station KTRK and ABC News on Tuesday.

A source told ABC News the House Democrats loosely plan on returning this weekend. Those plans could change, the source noted, if Republicans go back on their word to begin a second special session on Friday.

In a news release on Tuesday that did not share specific plans, House Democrats proclaimed victory, saying that they "have killed this corrupt special session on behalf of Texas families -- exactly what we said we'd do when we left the state."

Later Tuesday, Texas House Democratic Caucus spokesperson Joshua Rush told ABC News that its plans are fluid and they have yet to make a decision on travel.

“Members are still assessing their strategies going forward and are in a private meeting to make decisions about future plans currently,” he wrote. “If and when Texas House Democrats breaking quorum decide to go home is squarely dependent on the actions the Governor, Speaker, and Texas Republicans in charge make with regard to prioritizing flood victims over redistricting that hurts Texans.”

Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Tuesday morning that the first special session will adjourn on Friday if Democrats do not return by then.

Abbott would then call a second special session "immediately," he said in a statement. He indicated the second special session would include every item from the first and potentially additional items -- though his office could not say what those additional items might be

Abbott has said he is committed to calling special sessions, which can last a maximum of 30 days, as long as needed to pass the maps.

-KTRK's Tom Abrahams contributed to this report.

Middle-Leader-2293 on August 13rd, 2025 at 13:46 UTC »

The way I see it, if Republican policies were so good for this country, Republicans would be running on their record instead of having to gerrymander to get votes.

RoadsideBandit on August 13rd, 2025 at 12:53 UTC »

It's a trap.

smiama36 on August 13rd, 2025 at 12:44 UTC »

Won't Abbott just call a new special session after they return? And then make sure they can't leave again?