Abbott Announces Second Legislative Session To Pass Election Reform Bill After Democrats Fled The State

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he would convene a second special legislative session in a bid to pass Republicans’ election reform bill after Democrats fled the state to prevent its passage.

Though expected, the session is kicking off Saturday, nearly a month before it was originally planned to begin. It comes almost a month after over 50 Democrats in the state legislature fled to Washington, D.C., in order to prevent a quorum and block Republicans from passing the state’s election reform bill as a result.

“The Texas Legislature achieved a great deal during the 87^th Legislative Session, and they have a responsibility to finish the work that was started,” Abbott said in a statement Thursday. “”I will continue to call special session after special session to reform our broken bail system, uphold election integrity, and pass other important items that Texans demand and deserve.”

Texas state House Democrats speak outside the U.S. Capitol on July 13 after more than sixty of them fled their home state overnight. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Democrats’ exodus from the Capitol was the second time they left before the bill’s scheduled vote. In May, they quietly left the building just before the regular legislative session expired, temporarily tanking the bill.

This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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