Chop Wood, Carry TX 8/6
Stop the Gerrymandering!
Hi Texas friends,
Even though I’m on vacation, I wanted to make sure you got this asap because action is urgently needed to stop the gerrymandering in Texas. So I’m passing along the info and scripts from my friends at 5 Calls and urging everyone in Texas to make some calls.
Find your legislators on 5 Calls site
Oppose Partisan Redistricting
The Texas House and Senate are currently holding public hearings on mid-decade Congressional Redistricting. The topic was added by the Governor to the 30-day special session, following a letter from the DOJ targeting four districts in the Houston and Dallas Forth-Worth areas: CD 9 (Al Greene), CD 33 (Mark Veasey), CD 18 (previously represented by Sylvester Turner), and CD 29 (Sylvia Garcia). All the districts being targeted are minority-majority districts, and Texas Republicans are aiming to gain five additional House seats for Congressional Republicans, prompted by Trump’s demand for strengthened control of the House of Representatives.
Texas is still reeling from the July floods. The special session should be focused on disaster prevention and relief, rather than mid-decade gerrymandering. Texas already disenfranchises minorities: 95% of the growth in 2020 came from minorities, yet the Legislature reduced the number of districts representing minorities. It makes no sense to redistrict while we still have pending lawsuits from the 2021 maps. Texas Republicans in the legislature and executive branches have argued in sworn testimony that those maps are legal, and those same Republicans are now arguing that the same maps are illegal and urgently in need of redrawing.
Demand your State Senator and Representative oppose HB 4 and any other redistricting bill. They should focus on floods and disaster relief rather than this undemocratic mid-decade redistricting.
Updates
August 4, 2025: In an attempt to block their Republican colleagues’ partisan power grab, Democratic state legislators have left Texas. Without these members, the legislature lacks the quorum required for a vote on the proposed maps, although Governor Abbott is already threatening to expel absent members.
August 2, 2025: The Texas House redistricting committee has passed Trump’s gerrymandered map that gives Republicans 5 new seats. The legislation now moves to the House floor for consideration. A full House vote could come as soon as Tuesday, August 5th.
Script
Find your legislators on 5 Calls site
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I'm calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to oppose HB 4 and the mid-decade redistricting called by the Governor. It makes no sense to spend any time on further partisan gerrymandering when we should be 100% focused on disaster prevention and relief.
[OPTIONAL if rep is a Democrat]: I also ask that [REP/SEN NAME] break quorum to protest this sham special session.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
Although there is plenty of other important stuff happening in Texas and everywhere, this one deserves a spotlight.
Until next time,
Jess (and Andrea who helps with state newsletters)