Texas Democrats end walkout as Republicans try to pass redrawn map | World News

Texas Democrats returned to the state on Monday after a two-week walkout that had delayed a Republican-led effort to redraw congressional map. Their return gives Republicans the numbers needed to move forward with the plan, which has the backing of US President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported.
The standoff began on 3 August, when dozens of Democratic state representatives boarded a plane to Chicago in order to deny the Texas House the quorum needed to conduct business. At least 100 members of the 150-seat chamber must be present. In recent days, numbers had hovered just below that threshold.
Governor Greg Abbott, along with Attorney General Ken Paxton, had gone to court to try to force the lawmakers back. State House Speaker Dustin Burrows also issued arrest warrants and threatened fines of $500 a day under House rules, while Senator John Cornyn sought help from the FBI.
Despite those measures, most Democrats only decided to return after the first special legislative session expired on Friday. Representative Gene Wu, a Democrat from Houston, said their action was meant to lay the groundwork for a legal challenge. “Our return allows us to build the legal record necessary to defeat this map in court,” he told The New York Times.
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