Texas politics

Former Democratic presidential candidate from Texas Beto O'Rourke made a stop in Oklahoma City on Wednesday as part of a tour of the Midwest. He called for attendees to jump on the political offensive against the Trump Administration.

More than 50 Texas House Democrats left the state to stall a Republican-backed redistricting plan, effectively shutting down legislative business at the state Capitol.

The new proposed lines would also prevent few, if any, opportunities for Democrats hoping that an aggressive gerrymander could backfire on Republicans.

The move effectively brings the state House of Representatives to a standstill and prevents any consideration by the full chamber of HB 4, which would dramatically redraw Texas' congressional maps.

As Republicans in Texas move full steam ahead with a plan to redraw the state's congressional districts, Democrats are privately mulling their options, including an expensive and legally dicey quorum break.

Texas officials praise the revamped immigration database, but some critics are raising concerns about data privacy and accuracy.

Gov. Greg Abbott has added congressional redistricting to the state legislature's upcoming special session at President Donald Trump's request to create new Republican seats. One expert said it's an unusual and risky move.

On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released his official proclamation announcing a special legislative session. Texas lawmakers will be back in Austin starting on July 21. The session, which originally looked like it would focus on regulating THC, now includes several emergency preparedness topics.

The very qualities that draw people to the beautiful Texas Hill Country — rolling terrain, limestone formations and lazy rivers — also make the area deadly during heavy rainstorms.

The long-awaited vote survived objections from the panel's most right-leaning Republicans, who criticized the lessons as "un-American woke indoctrination."