Texas Legislature: 89th Session

The Texas Legislature began its first 30-day special session Monday, July 21st, which adjourned sine die on August 15. A second special session was called later that day, August 15, and that session adjourned sine die on Thursday, Sept. 4. Governor Abbott has given some indication that he may call a third special session since some of the agenda items were not addressed. But for now, the Texas legislature is not in session.

Look here for a list of all the bills passed by both the House and Senate, which could potentially be signed into law. You can see more reports of the legislation from the second special session here. Check out the Texas Tribune’s summary of the 800+ new laws that went into effect on Sept. 1st here.

Both special sessions had a full agenda of issues that could directly affect the lives of Texans — from public education to flood relief measures to THC regulation to reproductive health care. However, much of the political focus was directed toward a highly unusual mid-decade redistricting effort led by Governor Greg Abbott and Republican lawmakers. Redistricting efforts normally occur after the census (the last occurring in 2021) when accurate population data can inform these efforts. This move could shift several Congressional seats in the Republicans’ favor. Advocates for fair representation are raising alarms, warning that these changes may further dilute the voting power of minority communities and deepen partisan gerrymandering at the expense of democratic accountability.

On Wednesday August 20th, the Texas House voted to pass a new redistricted map detailed in House Bill 4, and on August 23rd, the bill was passed by the Senate. On August 29th, the bill was signed into law by Governor Abbott.

Watch the first special session as it was gaveled in here, and the second session as it was gaveled in here. All of the chamber-wide broadcasts are available here.

Find the schedule for live broadcasts of the session hearings here. The archive for hearing broadcasts is here.

• Track Texas House Bills
• Track the Texas Senate
• Track the Texas Legislature Online

Redistricting

A first draft of the congressional redistricting maps was released in the first session, and revised maps were introduced in the second session. Review House Bill 4 (HB 4), the redistricting bill from the second session, here. HB 4 has been passed into law, which codifies the redrawn map that potentially gives Republicans five new Congressional seats based on the 2024 Presidential election turnout. This new map is being challenged in court.

Here is a look at how Brazoria County fares under the passed map. Take a look at the full proposal from HB 4, a map entitled PLANC2333, by clicking HERE.

On Sunday August 3rd, at least 52 Texas House Democrats left the state in order to deny quorum to the Texas House, slowing the redistricting bill’s progress. Without at least two-thirds of voting members present, the Texas House could not take any action on the floor. Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas House issued civil arrest warrants for each member, but these warrants have no power outside of the state of Texas. Make no mistake, Texas House Democrats are fighting for the voters of Texas, not shirking their responsibilities. On August 14, the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued the following statement:

Those critical conditions were met. With the start of the second special session, the representatives returned to Texas and the state capitol, so quorum was reached, and legislative business continued. The quorum break came with huge amounts in fines and expenses, and not every Democratic representative is in a strong financial position to take on those expenses. By the rules of the Texas House, established for the 88th Legislative session in 2023, members who do not report to the floor of the House without an approved excuse are fined $500 per day. Texas Legislators are paid only $600 a month for their part-time roles as representatives. During the quorum break, the representatives potentially incurred lost wages from their day jobs, the cost of being away from their homes and their families, and the loss of wages for their legislative employees. There are some funds that were established to help our representatives offset this tremendous cost.

Here are some actions we can take against this redistricting:

• We can CONTACT our State House Representatives and let them know we are opposed to this. State Representative Cody Vasut of District 25, right here in Brazoria County, is the chair of the House Redistricting Committee. Give him a call at 512-463-0564. Find all of the phone numbers for our Brazoria County state representatives at this link.
  • For TEXAS RESIDENTS:
    Head over to 5calls.org/state/texas to call your State Senators and Representatives and make your voice heard on state-level issues during this special legislative session. It’s gonna move fast, so time is of the essence! 
  • **NOTE: the Texas page will only be available on web browsers, not on the 5 Calls mobile app.
• We can SUPPORT our House Democratic Caucus as they broke quorum to slow this plan and raise national awareness about redistricting. Breaking quorum comes with what could end up being millions of dollars in fines and expenses, and not every Democratic representative is in a strong financial position to take on those expenses. Check out their special session website and see more information on the caucus’s efforts, and see how you can help, monetarily or otherwise. One fund for supporting these legislators can be found here: Support the Texas Dems!
  • If you would like to send messages of thanks and support to our Texas Democratic House Members, click this link to access an email list and template! Take a few minutes and show Texas House Dems that Brazoria County Dems have their back!
• We can LEARN about how to continue to strengthen our voices and our communities in the face of all of this. More information on redistricting and the special session:
  • Fair and Open Campaign Information
  • Mid-Decade Redistricting and How to Testify Video Tutorial
  • League of Women Voters slideshow about redistricting

And as always, we can ENGAGE with our friends, family, and other voters to continue to organize and prepare for the elections in 2026 and beyond! There are plenty of events going on, so check out the calendar below. Our Brazoria County Democratic Party Google calendar is public, so if you’d like to see all of our events in your own Google Calendar, you can add it by clicking the “+” in the bottom right hand corner of the calendar.