The Texas state Senate has passed a new congressional map proposal, which was approved by the Senate in a party-line vote, despite Democrats arguing it was a power grab. The Senate had already passed the map proposal last week, but the body needed to approve it again due to the end of the first special legislative session. The Republican governor called a second session this week.
The new district lines are likely to add up to five additional U.S. House seats for Republicans in next year’s midterms. The Senate broke for a long break just as she planned to start, and Republicans were able to block the planned speech. The new map could also give Democrats up to five additional seats in the U.S. House.
Texas Republicans’ actions have set off an arms race with multiple other Republican- and Democratic-led states seeking to conduct redistricting and try to pick up seats. California lawmakers met this week to approve a ballot measure that would allow voters to weigh in on whether the state should redraw its lines to be in effect for the rest of the decade. The new map could also give Democrats up to five additional seats in the U.S. House. However, Republicans may have more opportunities to redistrict, with states like Florida and Missouri also looking at drawing new Congressional lines.
