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.

The second session is set to consider the same agenda that stalled in the first, with redistricting and disaster response at the top of the governor’s priorities.

Texas lawmakers are set to gavel in at 10 a.m. Friday for what could be the final day of the state's first special session as House Democrats remain out of state in a bid to block Republican redistricting plans that would add five GOP seats to Congress.