A few weeks ago, on July 21st, KWTX a television outlet in Waco, TX reported the special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abott was beginning over in Austin. The online report noted the session's agenda included items not taken care off during the regular session. They included things like cannabis regulations and a student testing program. The most important item however concerned the flooding recently experienced in central Texas which killed over a hundred people, many of them children. Included were improvements to flood warning systems and emergency communications. Funding for relief aid to the victims of the July flooding was also on the table. The outlet said that state legislators wore green that first day in remembrance of those lost during the disaster.
Notice anything missing from the menu of that soon to be contentious get together? How about redrawing the entire state's congressional district map in a way that will deal the republican party a sure-fire hand to win an additional five seats in the 2026 elections.
Yes, it seems at some point either immediately before, or just after the special session began, Donald Trump made a phone call to Governor Abott and others. He had come up with a bright idea to help preserve republican control of the House next year. (Actually, it was probably someone else who came up with the idea, Trump himself is incapable of bright ideas.)
In other words, fuck all that disaster preparedness and humanitarian shit. The Mango Mussolini had told them to jump on his behalf and the only question asked by Texas republicans was, "How high, boss?"
Currently republicans hold a seven seat majority in the house. It could be down to five by the year's end. .There are two vacant seats which were held by democrats who are now deceased. The vacancies will be filled by special elections later this year. Given what normally happens in mid-term congressional elections--the political party holding the White House usually loses seats even when things are going well--Trump can't count on the electorate. He has to pull the puppet strings in order to gerrymander the living daylights out of a place like Texas, which has 13 democratic members of congress out of a total of 38.
Now, instead of flood relief, Greg Abott and the rest of Trump's merry pranksters in Texas are screeching about the 50, or so democratic legislators who have fled the state in order to stop Trump's power grab by denying the legislature a quorum. In fact, to put it as mildly as possible, Abott and his pals have gone ape shit crazy over the walk out.
Democratic legislators are being fined $500 for every day they are gone. (Most took it on the lam to Illinois, while others are hunkered down in New York and Massachusetts.) Abott has threatened them with arrest, going so far as claim he has State Troopers out hunting them down. He is also threatening to remove them from the legislature, although to do so he needs the State Supreme Court's help. In addition, Texas, U.S. Senator John Cornyn called up the Director of the FBI, Kash Patel and asked him to use his agents to track the missing democrats down. One report says Patel agreed even though there is no evidence of any federal crime being committed. Of course, in this administration things like the law are considered nothing more than mere inconveniences. Patel probably just asked himself, "What would Donald do?" Or, more likely, "What does Donald want me to do?"
In the end this is a battle Trump will win. Texas law says special legislative sessions can last only 30 days. Democrats promised to return to the state when the 30 days are up. However, Texas law doesn't limit the number of special sessions the Governor can call. Abott has already promised to simply call another one as soon as everybody is back in town. And he'll keep doing it until the Big Man gets his way.
In Texas anyway.
In other states the lunacy might go a little differently. California Governor, Gavin Newsom says if Trump is successful pulling off this cold-blooded manipulation he and his state will respond, by making sure they add the same number of democratic seats republicans stole in Texas. There have been rumblings in Illinois and New York of doing the same thing. In short, the nation is on the brink of a gerrymandering war.
Well why not? After all, it's just the voters everyone is taking about. It isn't like they're screwing with the victims of natural disasters.
You know, like the ones in Texas.
8-10-25
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