Texas' Republican-controlled House approves new maps to create more winnable GOP congressional seats

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Republicans connected Wednesday took the archetypal measurement toward approving caller legislature maps that would springiness their enactment arsenic galore arsenic 5 caller seats successful the House of Representatives, spurring what's apt to beryllium a nationalist conflict implicit redistricting.

The support by the Texas House of Representatives came astatine the urging of President Donald Trump, who pushed for the bonzer mid-decade revision of legislature maps to springiness his enactment a amended accidental astatine holding onto the U.S. House of Representatives successful adjacent year's election. The maps request to beryllium approved by the authorities Senate and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier they go official.

Texas authorities legislative Democrats delayed the ballot by 2 weeks by fleeing the authorities earlier this period successful protest, and were assigned round-the-clock constabulary monitoring upon their instrumentality to guarantee they attended Wednesday's session.

The support of the Texas maps is apt to punctual California's Democratic-controlled authorities Legislature to o.k. of a caller House representation creating Democratic-leaning districts. Unlike successful Texas, the California representation would necessitate support by voters successful November earlier it becomes official.

Democrats person besides vowed to writer to situation the caller Texas representation and complained that Republicans made the governmental powerfulness determination earlier passing authorities responding to deadly floods that swept the authorities past month.

This is simply a processing story. Below is erstwhile reporting.

The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives connected Wednesday kicked disconnected a heated statement implicit a caller legislature representation creating 5 caller imaginable GOP seats that is expected to walk the enclosure aboriginal successful the time arsenic portion of a growing nationalist redistricting battle.

The program is the effect of prodding by President Donald Trump, anxious to stave disconnected a midterm decision that would deprive his enactment of power of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a ballot for 15 days by leaving the authorities successful protest, depriving the House of capable members to bash business.

State Rep. Todd Hunter, who wrote the authorities formally creating the caller map, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed politicians to redraw districts for nakedly partisan purposes. "The underlying extremity of this program is consecutive forward: amended Republican governmental performance," Hunter, a Republican, said arsenic statement began.

Democrats responded that that was antagonistic to the country's values. "In a democracy, radical take their representatives," said State Rep. Chris Turner, a Democrat. "This measure flips that connected its caput and lets politicians successful Washington, D.C. take their voters."

The Texas State Senate, besides controlled by Republicans, needs to besides walk the representation and GOP Gov. Greg Abbott indispensable motion them earlier they go official. The House statement was expected to beryllium the lengthiest and top obstacle to the Republican push, but some parties expected the authorities to yet pass, fixed the GOP's important bulk successful the chamber.

Democrats said they're preparing to situation the caller representation successful court.

Some House Democrats returned from their formation connected Monday, lone to beryllium assigned round-the-clock constabulary escorts to guarantee their attendance astatine Wednesday's session. Seven who refused were confined to the House floor, wherever they protested connected a livestream Tuesday night, led by Rep. Nicole Collier, who represents a minority-majority territory successful Fort Worth. Her unit removed a pillow, broad and container of idiosyncratic effects aboriginal Wednesday.

As lawmakers trickled into the chamber, respective Democrats gave Collier a hug, said "Thank you," and took photos with her. In a societal media station Tuesday night, Collier enactment a telephone from 2024 Democratic statesmanlike nominee Kamala Harris connected her cellphone's speaker. Harris told Collier that, "We are each successful that country with you."

RELATED: Texas House redistricting committee advances measure with caller legislature maps

House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced, arsenic statement started, that doors to the enclosure were locked and immoderate subordinate leaving was required to person a support gaffe earlier exiting.

Furious nationalist Democrats person vowed payback for the Texas map, with California's Legislature poised to o.k. caller maps adding much Democratic-friendly seats aboriginal this week. The representation would inactive request to beryllium approved by that state's voters successful November.

Normally, states redraw maps erstwhile a decennary with caller census figures. But Trump is lobbying different conservative-controlled states similar Indiana and Missouri to besides effort to compression caller GOP-friendly seats retired of their maps arsenic his enactment prepares for a hard midterm predetermination adjacent year.

Democrats are energized by the combat successful Texas

As the House league was astir to begin, astir 2 twelve demonstrators supporting Democrats sang "Fighting for Democracy, we shall not beryllium moved" extracurricular the chamber. GOP House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that the nationalist assemblage volition beryllium cleared if determination are disruptions. The nationalist assemblage was mostly bare arsenic the league was gaveled in.

But the 100 members required to bash concern were present. About 200 radical person gathered successful the Capitol's rotunda for a rally supporting Democrats, holding signs saying "End Gerrymandering - Save Democracy," "Defend the Constitution," and "Fascism is here."

Texas Democrats spent the time earlier the ballot continuing to gully attraction to the bonzer lengths the Republicans who tally the Legislature were going to guarantee it takes place.

Collier started it erstwhile she refused to motion what Democrats called the "permission slip" required by Burrows to permission the House chamber, a half-page signifier allowing Department of Public Safety troopers to travel them. Collier spent Monday nighttime and Tuesday connected the House floor, wherever she acceptable up a livestream portion her Democratic colleagues extracurricular had plainclothes officers pursuing them to their offices and homes.

Dallas-area Rep. Linda Garcia said she drove 3 hours location from Austin with an serviceman pursuing her. When she went market shopping, helium went down each aisle with her, pretending to shop, she said. As she spoke to The Associated Press by phone, 2 unmarked cars with officers wrong were parked extracurricular her home.

"It's a weird feeling," she said. "The lone mode to explicate the full process is: It's similar I'm successful a movie."

Dallas-area Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez joined the protestation wrong the House enclosure and called it a "slumber enactment for democracy," and she said Democrats were holding strategy sessions connected the floor.

"We are not criminals," Houston Rep. Penny Morales Shaw said earlier joining Collier, too.

Collier said having officers shadiness her was an onslaught connected her dignity and an effort to power her movements.

Republican person says Collier 'is good wrong her rights'

Burrows brushed disconnected Collier's protest, saying helium was focused connected important issues, specified arsenic providing spot taxation alleviation and responding to past month's deadly floods. His connection Tuesday greeting did not notation redistricting, and his bureau did not instantly respond to different Democrats joining Collier.

"Rep. Collier's prime to enactment and not motion the support gaffe is good wrong her rights nether the House Rules," Burrows said.

Under those rules, until Wednesday's vote, the chamber's doors were locked, and nary subordinate could permission "without the written support of the speaker."

Republicans issued civilian apprehension warrants to bring the Democrats backmost aft they near the authorities Aug. 3, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott asked the authorities Supreme Court to oust Wu and respective different Democrats from office. The lawmakers besides look a good of $500 for each time they were absent.

Democrats extracurricular the Capitol reported antithetic levels of monitoring, and immoderate said the officers watching them were friendly. But Austin Rep. Sheryl Cole said successful a societal media station that erstwhile she went connected her greeting locomotion Tuesday, the serviceman pursuing her mislaid her connected the trail, got angry, and threatened to apprehension her.

READ MORE: Even astatine the market store, Texas troopers don't fto Democrats retired of show aft walkout

Garcia said the serviceman who tailed her location besides came into the market store erstwhile she went buying with her 9-year-old son.

"I would ideate that this is the mode it feels erstwhile you're perchance shoplifting and idiosyncratic is assessing whether you're going to steal," she said.