Texas Democrats face a "complicated" long game [View all]

Texas Democrats face a “complicated” long game
The odds are stacked against state lawmakers who broke quorum in an effort to stop a GOP gerrymander

By Russell Payne
Staff Reporter
Published August 11, 2025 1:30PM (EDT)


(Salon) While Texas Democrats have thus far been successful in preventing their Republican counterparts from passing an aggressive gerrymander, in the long run, the deck is stacked against them.

Texas state Rep. James Talarico told Salon that he and his colleagues are “all committed to staying out of the Texas Capitol at least until the end of this special session.” When asked whether they were preparing for a scenario where Texas Republicans call another special session, Talarico said that “We’ll cross that bridge if it happens.”

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Members of the Texas House earn only $600 a month, meaning most members maintain a full-time job in addition to their political work — jobs that Texas Democrats will have to stay away from as long as they are breaking quorum.

Special sessions in Texas can last up to 30 days, meaning that Democrats are already preparing to be away from their jobs and families for a month. But, per Texas state law, there’s no limit on the number of special sessions the governor can call, meaning once Democrats return, Gov. Greg Abbot can call another session, potentially starting the whole process over again. ....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/08/11/texas-democrats-face-a-complicated-long-game/