Texas Democrats end two-week standoff over redistricting effort

Political Landscape & Redistricting - Texas Democratic lawmakers returned after two weeks of absence to block Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts, potentially adding five GOP seats in the House [1] - Democrats aim to challenge the maps in court, arguing they are racially gerrymandered and silence minority communities [5] - Despite the Democrats' efforts, the maps are expected to pass [5][10] - Democrats claim victory by delaying the maps for two weeks and pressuring California to pass a retaliatory bill potentially adding five Democratic seats [10] Legislative Agenda & Priorities - Redistricting has overshadowed other important issues, including flood relief efforts [7] - The governor added a new flood relief item to the special session call, focusing on camp safety and warning systems [7][8] - Flood relief is considered a bipartisan priority and is expected to pass [6] Political Tactics & Reactions - The speaker assigned a state trooper to each Democrat to prevent them from leaving the state again, which Democrats opposed [4] - Democrats were welcomed back with cheers for stalling the maps [3]