The Texas Legislature began a new special legislative session Friday after Gov. Greg Abbott called lawmakers back to deal with congressional redistricting and a host of other issues — laying down a new gauntlet for Democrats who fled the state nearly two weeks ago to halt a vote on a new district map.

A second special session was called Friday after the Texas House failed to make a quorum for a sixth time in a row, amid Democrats leaving the state to protest a redistricting plan expected to favor Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.