Blaise Gainey | The Texas Newsroom

House Bill 35 goes into effect on Sept. 1, creating a new program that aims to connect firefighters and EMS workers across Texas with peer-to-peer mental health support.

The Texas Senate voted to approve a controversial, mid-decade redistricting bill that redraws the state's congressional map in Republican's favor. The new districts could give the GOP as many as five more seats in Congress after the 2026 midterm elections.

Texas House Democrats returned to Austin on Monday, restoring the chamber's quorum. With their return, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature will likely move quickly to pass a new map of the state's congressional districts.

About 5,000 people gathered at the Capitol on Saturday to protest President Trump and the Texas Legislature's plan to redraw the state's congressional districts to give Republicans more seats in the U.S. House.

The new special session started Friday with threats to House Democrats, who have signaled their intention to return to Texas after leaving the state to block the passage of a new GOP-friendly congressional map.

More than 50 Democratic Texas House members have been out of state for nearly two weeks in an effort to block Republican-led legislation that would redraw the state's congressional maps. On Thursday, they announced their conditions for returning to Austin.

The Texas Senate's marathon session Tuesday wasn't without its own political drama. Early on, nine of the chamber's Democrats walked out to protest the same Republican-backed plan to redraw the state's congressional districts that prompted the House quorum break earlier this month.

State lawmakers are in the Hill Country community most impacted by the July 4 flooding gathering testimony for legislation to address disaster preparedness and response efforts.

Gov. Greg Abbott has asked lawmakers to send him legislation to address disaster relief and prevention.

Eastland's nephew, Gardner Eastland, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Saturday.