AUSTIN, TEXAS — After the Republican chairman of the Texas House Redistricting Committee abruptly ended public testimony, leaving dozens of Texans who traveled across the state unable to speak, Democratic Vice-Chair Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston) and members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus are immediately convening ‘The People’s Hearing’ to ensure every voice is heard. The Hearing is being held in the Legislative Conference Center (LCC) and live streamed at x.com/TexasHDC and youtube.com/@TexasHDC.
Following the official hearing's adjournment, Redistricting Committee Vice Chair Rep. Jon Rosenthal invited all members of the public who traveled to Austin today and who were denied the opportunity to testify to join Democratic lawmakers to give their testimony.
The move comes amid growing controversy over Governor Abbott’s special session, which Democrats have criticized as a corrupt power grab that prioritizes rigging elections for Donald Trump over providing relief to the victims of the catastrophic Central Texas floods.
“This is what Republican contempt for everyday Texans looks like,” said Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston). “They call a Legislative Session for a corrupt purpose, obscure the actual motivations from Texans, hide the map from the public, and now they are literally shutting off the microphones on citizens who have driven hours to be here. While the GOP runs from the people, we will run toward them. ‘The People’s Hearing’ is our commitment to a transparent, accountable government.”
While testimony given in "The People's Hearing" will not be part of the official committee record, Democratic members have pledged that it will directly inform their deliberations and strategy in fighting the proposed maps.