Redistricting Plan And Looks to Make Camp Safer

The Texas Senate could vote on a congressional redistricting plan as soon as today.  This, after Texas House Republicans passed the plan to re-draw congressional maps in their favor.  The state House reconvened Wednesday after protests from Democrats that saw them leave the state to break quorum and delay a vote.  The governor said in a statement Wednesday evening he’ll sign the bill when it reaches his desk.  Abbott said while Democrats shirked their duty and ran away to other states, Republicans stayed the course, stayed at work and stayed true to Texas.  The new congressional maps would give Republicans five more seats in the U.S. House.  Abbott said on X the maps would make his state and Congress “a brighter shade of red.”The new congressional map would create five more Republican-leaning districts, and is expected to be approved the Senate.  Meanwhile, Democrats in California are watching, and say they’ll push to re-draw their maps to add five more Democratic seats if Texas does the same.  Speaking at a fundraising event for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee on Tuesday, former President Obama backed California’s plan and urged the Democratic Party to “respond effectively” to GOP attempts to gerrymander districts.

Texas Lawmakers Look To Make Camps Safer

The parents of the 27 girls who died at Camp Mystic are urging Texas lawmakers to support a new bill to make summer camps safer.  Michael McCown, who lost his eight year old daughter in the July flooding, says there needs to be more protections in place.  State lawmakers are taking up a package of bills to address the disaster.  If passed they would keep summer camps out of flood zones, require them to have emergency plans and mandate both weather radios and warning sirens.