The Texas House this week approved a mid-decade redistricting plan that could significantly reshape the state’s congressional delegation. On Aug. 20, lawmakers passed House Bill 4 in an 88-52 vote, sending the measure to the Senate for final consideration this afternoon, though Houston Senator Carol Alvarado indicated she intends to filibuster HB 4. Watch the Senate floor debate here..
The controversial proposal would reconfigure several battleground districts across Texas, pairing fast-growing suburbs with rural counties and linking communities with little overlap in media or economic ties. Republican leaders say the map reflects recent voting trends and increases the number of Hispanic-majority districts. Democrats and civil-rights groups argue it is designed to secure as many as five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House by “cracking and packing” communities of color in metro areas like Houston and Dallas.
The road to passage was marked by a high-profile quorum break. More than 50 House Democrats left the state in late July to block legislative business, preventing the two-thirds threshold needed to conduct floor action. Leaders responded by authorizing civil arrest warrants and backing other measures aimed at compelling their return. Abbott supported the warrants issued by Speaker Dustin Burrows and threatened possible penalties for lawmakers who remained absent. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn requested FBI involvement, saying the agency had agreed to track down Democrats outside Texas. Texas Democrats returned to the chamber on Aug. 18 at the conclusion of the first special session and the start of the second.
Attention now shifts to the courts. Voting-rights organizations and Democratic plaintiffs have announced plans to sue under the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, alleging the map dilutes the voting power of Texans of color. State leaders counter that mid-decade redistricting is not prohibited and that the plan complies with federal precedent. Lawsuits are expected to seek expedited review to avoid disrupting candidate filing deadlines for the 2026 election cycle.
The redistricting battle had also sidelined other items on the governor’s special session call, but lawmakers advanced education legislation this week to replace the STAAR exam with a three-part “through-year” assessment system, with bills moving out of committee and positioned for floor debate. Senate Bill 9 and HB 8 would swap STAAR for three shorter tests to be administered at the beginning, middle and end of the school year.
The proposed model would break testing into shorter checkpoints in the fall, winter, and spring, aiming to reduce stress and provide faster feedback on student progress. Results would still feed into the state’s A–F accountability framework, though questions remain about whether the Texas Education Agency or outside vendors should oversee design and implementation.
For now, the timeline is clear. The Senate is expected to complete work on HB 4, the governor will sign it, and litigation will begin. Federal judges will then weigh the claims and determine whether the maps stand or require changes before the 2026 elections.