Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, once counsel for Fair Districts, also said the partisan motivation of new maps would be clear in court.

Abbott called a second special session after the House again failed to reach a quorum amid a Democratic walkout over a GOP-favored redistricting plan.

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.