Democrats who fled Texas to block the GOP's redistricting effort plot their exit strategy

Texas Democratic legislators who fled the state to block Republicans’ redistricting proposal are hammering out a plan for their return home.

With Texas expected to end its first special legislative session Friday and immediately begin a new one, the dozens of Democratic legislators who fled the state to block Republicans’ redistricting proposal are hammering out a plan for their return home.

Texas Democrats met late into the night Tuesday then again Wednesday, including breaking into smaller groups, to discuss their next steps and what their ultimate exit strategy looked like after spending the last 10 days out of the state, according to four sources close to the talks.

But those sources said the lawmakers do not yet have full consensus on an exit plan. “It’s hard to get folks on the same page,” said one of the sources, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal party strategy.

Still, there does appear to be agreement on one point: The Democrats won’t come back to Austin until Republicans officially bring the first special session to a close. They’re beginning to describe their ability to block Republicans from passing their new map that could net the party as many as five seats in the U.S. House during the first special session as proof of victory.

"Our commitment was only to kill this corrupt special session. What we will do, what we're going to do in the future, we're in discussions right now," state Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Wu said Wednesday on "Meet the Press NOW."