Hi there, everybody. It's 4 o'clock in the East on a hugely consequential day for the future of our democracy.

It is 3 o'clock at the Texas State House in Austin, the burning hot epicenter today of the future of democracy.

Right now, following a marathon session, crackling with

fireworks, speeches, and amendments and debate. At this moment, it appears we are close to a final

vote on those new gerrymander district maps, the transparently partisan ones drawn up mid-decade

by Republicans at the request of Donald Trump attempting to gobble up more seats

in Congress.

Of course, the truth of the matter is that today's long-awaited result is all but certain.

Barring lobotomy on the part of the Republicans or some sudden oral awakening, the GOP map in Texas

will pass.

But the victory for Democrats today may rest not on a near certain result in Texas, but in the fight and the grit and the awakening and the

willingness to do whatever it takes now to save democracy and to be seen doing it. That's why images

like this one from yesterday are so powerful. Texas

Democrats ripping up permission slips, which amount to haul passes. They were made compulsory by

Texas Republicans just for the privilege of leaving the building. Of course, the reason those passes

were deemed necessary and the reason Texas

troopers are following Democratic lawmakers around everywhere they go, including to the grocery

store, is because those Democrats made the decision to leave the state, to leave Texas,

to prevent Republicans from having a quorum, a fact that has hung over today's debate.

Watch.

We weren't asked any questions and are engaged in the process at all.

You left 17 to 18 days.

...