Texas has now officially entered week two of a high-profile quorum break by more than 50 of the state's House Democrats who left the state in an effort to block a new, Republican-backed map of Texas' congressional districts that could give the GOP a significant advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.
The quorum break — which has been making national news and even inspiring other, Democratic-led states to threaten their own redistricting efforts — comes as the Texas Legislature faces a packed special session agenda from Gov. Greg Abbott. With just over a week left on the clock (special sessions in Texas can run no longer than 30 days), at this rate, the legislative gridlock means there may not be a single bill heading to the governor's desk when the session comes to a close.
The decision by Democrats to break quorum has been polarizing, with praise or criticism mostly falling along party lines. Democrats argue that, as the minority party in the state, leaving the state is their only option to stall redistricting. Meanwhile, Republicans — including Gov. Abbott — say that Democratic lawmakers breaking quorum shows they aren't willing to fight for their constituents.
All in all, a lot has happened since Texas Democrats first decided to leave their seats at the statehouse vacant. Whether you've been following every twist and turn in the saga or are just now catching up, here's a look at what's happened so far and what to expect next.
How did we get here?
In June, when Gov. Abbott first said he planned to call lawmakers back to Austin for a special session, it seemed like the state's regulation of consumable THC would be the main focus.
But in the time between then and the governor issuing his official special session call, things changed. First, the state was hit by historic flooding in early July. Second, President Donald Trump expressed his desire for Texas to redraw its congressional maps, with the hopes that new district lines would give Republicans up to five new seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Before the special session gaveled in on July 21, Texas Democrats were speaking up against redistricting, making it known that a potential quorum break wasn't off the table.
"Democrats are going to keep all options open," said Rep. Gene Wu, the Houston lawmaker who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, at a press conference shortly before lawmakers reconvened. "We will take whatever measures are necessary to protect our communities and protect the state."
House Democrats also made it clear they believed addressing flood recovery should be the primary focus of the special session.
"We will see if they have a hearing on flooding first. We will see if they bring that legislation to us first," Wu said.
While legislative committees did hold hearings on flood relief and prevention, early in the special session, far more hearings were held on redistricting. One day after a Texas House committee passed House Bill 4, the legislation attached to the new congressional maps, a coalition of Democratic House members announced they were leaving the state.
The threats — and lawsuits — are flying
After Democrats left the state to break quorum, the threats started rolling in from top Texas Republicans like Gov. Abbott and Ken Paxton — and many of those threats came with teeth.
First came the arrest warrants. Last Monday, just days after the break was announced, only six of the Texas House's 62 Democratic lawmakers showed up to work. Since then, state troopers have been attempting to carry out arrest warrants on certain Democrats who have fled the state.
San Antonio Rep. Josey Garcia, who is in Chicago, said in a Monday press conference that Texas Department of Public Safety officers have already been to her home looking for her. To her it's a waste of resources and money.
Garcia criticized the state for, "sending four unmarked officers to my home where you know I have special needs children, and a husband who has PTSD, and you know I'm not in the state … You're going to exacerbate our resources to go and do this performative theatre."
Garcia and other Democrats who have left the state — heading to Illinois, California and Massachusetts — are also facing daily fines of $500, which can't be paid with campaign contributions.
Those arrest warrants haven't yet led to the return of a single Democrat. So, last Tuesday, Gov. Abbott increased the severity of the penalty, along with filing an emergency petition to remove Rep. Gene Wu from his House seat for what Abbott called an abandonment of his office.
Attorney General Ken Paxton is also attempting to persuade Democrats to return to the state. Last Friday, he filed a similar claim with the Texas Supreme Court seeking the removal of 13 Democrats that broke quorum, including Wu, from office.
"These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold," Paxton said on Friday. "Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on."
Both Paxton and Abbott say that the Democrats are abandoning their office by not being present for a special session. But Rep. Gene Wu has consistently disagreed.
"Denying the governor a quorum was not an abandonment of my office; it was a fulfillment of my oath," said the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader last week.
Even Trump has gotten involved. He chimed in early last week, telling reporters that the FBI "may have to" get involved. Trump's comment came after Texas Sen. John Cornyn wrote a letter to the FBI requesting that they help to track down the missing lawmakers.
Since then, Cornyn has announced that the request has been approved.
Democrats are already looking to a second special session. So is Gov. Abbott
If Democrats are hoping to run out the clock on the special session, they may end up right back where they started at the beginning of the session.
Gov. Abbott has said, if the arrest warrants aren't carried out or the Democrats don't return before this special session is scheduled to end next week — he'll simply call another special.
"This could literally last years," Abbott said during a Sunday appearance on FOX News.
"I'm authorized to call a special session every 30 days. It lasts 30 days. And as soon as this one is over, I'm gonna call another one, then another one, then another, then another one," said Abbott.
Texas House Minority Leader Houston Rep. Gene Wu said his party is open to another session.
"We're hoping that the next special session does not also have to be corrupt," Wu said on Monday from Chicago. "If he simply calls another special session to do things that are selfish, things that are for him, things that are for his buddies that's up to him."
Exactly which side will win in this legislative standoff is unclear. But with a little more than a week to go in this special session, it seems unlikely any legislation — congressional maps or otherwise — will be passing through the statehouse anytime soon.
The Texas Newsroom is a public radio journalism collaboration that includes NPR, KERA in North Texas, Houston Public Media, KUT in Austin, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and other stations across the state.