Friday is an end and a beginning. It concludes a frustrating special session where Texas lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement on proposed congressional district lines.
Republicans who have their foot on the accelerator to drive over the current map in favor of districts that would likely give the GOP more power with five new congressional seats. The red votes were in place, but the blue opposition left the building.
Democrats have refused to give Governor Greg Abbott the seats he wants to give to President Donald Trump.
Tuesday was another failed attempt at gathering with Texas House Democrats in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts.
“If we still do not have a quorum on Friday, the House and the Senate will sine die this session, and the Governor will immediately issue a proclamation for a 2nd called special session,” Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows said. “We will gavel in for the 2nd session Friday and reestablish the call of the House.”
Burrows said Gov. Abbott has the proclamations in place for the second special session. Burrows also said that, in addition to the existing measures against the absent lawmakers, the state plans to charge them for the Texas DPS search, including overtime costs.
“As of today, the amount is well over six figures in just overtime,” he said. “We have travel and operational costs that are being tracked as well.”
AG Ken Paxton vs. Beto O’Rourke
The heat between Attorney General Ken Paxton and former Congressman Beto O’Rourke. Paxton won a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke’s Powered by People, saying it was funding the Democrats who skipped out on the special session.
O’Rourke spoke at a rally in Fort Worth on Saturday. Paxton believes some of what he said violates the TRO. He wants O’Rourke held in contempt and possibly jailed.
“The temporary injunction doesn’t prohibit Mr. O’Rourke from saying things,” appellate attorney Chad Ruback said. “They don’t match up. These are two ships passing in the night. The temporary injunction prohibits Mr. O’Rourke from raising money and spending that money for the Democratic legislators who are currently out of state.”
Ruback said it’s hard to predict what could happen in the Paxton and O’Rourke showdown in a Tarrant County court, especially with politics involved.
“I think the Attorney General’s filing today seems like a lot of political grandstanding,” Ruback said. “It does not seem like it’s going to accomplish much from a legal standpoint. That being said, stranger things have happened.”
Appeals are Ruback’s turf. He is not involved in the case but sees it heading to an appeal.
“Any time the attorney general is filing things addressing hot political issues like this, there’s going to be a hot political response to it, and then a hot political reply back from the attorney general,” he said.
