Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit directly to the all-Republican state Supreme Court on Friday seeking to have 13 of the Democratic lawmakers immediately removed from office, or at least given a 48-hour warning that they must return or have their offices declared vacated.

The Texas House Democrats who have fled the state to block a vote on redistricting​ are being hosted by California leaders on Friday.

Republicans had warned they would escalate efforts to end the nearly weeklong holdout if defiant Democrats do not return to the state Capitol. But the Democrats who bolted for points across the country on Aug.

During a brief session Friday, state House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) announced the chamber did not achieve a quorum, stalling business

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to expand Republicans’ power grab over the state’s congressional maps even further. If... As we’ve noted, Gov. Abbott earlier this week leapfrogged his own attorney general in trying to get at least one Texas Democrat’s seat declared vacant.

The redistricting standoff in Texas has taken a sharp legal turn. On Friday, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a sweeping lawsuit in the Texas Supreme Court seeking to remove 13 Democratic House members from office.

Democrats concede there’s only so much they can do to keep Texas from redrawing its maps. But they want to encourage blue states to retaliate.