State Rep. Katrina Pierson, R-Rockwall, is praising Gov. Greg Abbott's emergency petition to the Texas Supreme Court seeking to remove Democratic Rep. Gene Wu from office.
"These guys are fleeing for political purposes, and there should be accountability," Pierson told CBS News Texas. "There are consequences outlined within the law, so here we are at a showdown at the state level."
Abbott's lawsuit accuses Wu of abandoning his duties by planning to lead dozens of Democrats out of Texas to break quorum and block a vote on new congressional maps. The proposed maps, drawn by Republicans, would give the GOP five additional seats if approved.
Wu, who chairs the Texas House Democratic Caucus, must respond to the lawsuit by 5 p.m. Friday. He said the legal move surprised him.
"This is just absolute insanity," Wu told CBS News Texas.
He strongly rejected the governor's claims, saying the office he holds belongs to the people of Texas.
"It's not my office, and it is sure as hell not Governor Abbott's office," Wu said. "This office belongs to the people of the state of Texas, and I have taken an oath to defend those people and to protect them."
When asked whether he planned to stay out of state to run out the clock on the special session, Wu responded:
"I think I'll say it the way that Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, the chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said it best: 'Hell no.'"
The congressional maps approved four years ago are already being contested in court. Wu said the new maps build on an already illegal and racially gerrymandered foundation.
"They're not just redistricting and doing racial gerrymandering out of nothing," Wu said. "They're doing it on top of a map that is already illegal and racially gerrymandered."
Pierson defended the new maps, saying Texas is simply following the lead of other states.
"The other states have already done this. Texas is just catching up, so I don't see anything wrong with it," she said.
She also claimed the redistricting fight reflects a broader political shift.
"They don't want to face the truth," Pierson said. "The truth is minorities in this state are trending Republican, and that is what's actually being highlighted."
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has scheduled the chamber to meet at 1 p.m. Friday, hoping to reach the 100-member quorum required to conduct business.
While the House has been unable to meet, the Texas Senate continues to hold committee meetings and sessions. The Senate Redistricting Committee met Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to reconvene Friday morning.
The new congressional maps are expected to pass in the Senate, but without a quorum in the House, they cannot be approved.