The Texas State House of Representatives was about to vote on a redistricting plan – which, given its Republican majority, would be highly beneficial to the Republican Party.
Let’s stop here and note that this is nothing new. Democrats have redistricted in Democrat-majority states for exactly the same reason.
Predictably, Texas Democrats would like to thwart the redistricting. Their strategy? Not to convince so many Republicans it is a bad idea that the redistricting plan is rejected (fair enough, since I can’t begin to imagine that would ever happen)…
…but for enough of them to leave the state so that, based on Texas law, there would not be a legal quorum for legislation to come to a vote. Which they have done – most Denocrat House members winding up in Chicago.
And here, in his own words, is (Republican) Governor Greg Abbott’s reaction:
Is that a showdown, or what?
Now let’s sit back and see what happens.
Let’s see whether legislators end the abandonment of their responsibilities and return to Texas…
…or they stay outside of the state, in which case Abbott will or won’t make good on his threats.
Stay tuned.
