Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
5d ago

Abbott Expands July Special Session to Include Congressional Redistricting

Abbott’s directive reacts to a Justice Department letter flagging racial gerrymandering ahead of the July 21 convening

Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference in Hunt, Texas, on July 8. The next day, Abbott directed state lawmakers to redraw Texas's congressional map as part of a special legislative.
Image
Image
Gov. Greg Abbott during a news conference, in Hunt, Texas, on July 8, 2025.

Overview

  • Gov. Greg Abbott has formally added a mid-cycle congressional map rewrite to the agenda of the July 21 Texas legislative special session
  • The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division alleged that four Democratic districts were illegally drawn to group voters by race, prompting the move
  • Lawmakers will also address 18 items on flood-preparedness upgrades and a regulatory framework for hemp-derived THC products following Abbott’s veto of a full ban
  • President Donald Trump’s political team had urged Texas Republicans to pursue mid-decade redistricting to bolster the party’s slim U.S. House majority
  • Unified GOP control of the legislature, governor’s office and state Supreme Court clears the path for new maps but is expected to face immediate Voting Rights Act challenges