When Texas House Democrats fled the state to stall a vote on a new congressional map, Gov. Greg Abbott made the extraordinary move of petitioning the Texas Supreme Court to remove their caucus leader from office.

He urged the court to act within 48 hours of his filing.

But on Monday, the court rejected that compressed timeline, instead setting a three-week schedule for both sides to submit their briefs. Final responses are due by Sept. 4, more than two weeks after the current special legislative session is slated to conclude, the Texas Tribune reported.
Still, Abbott touted the court’s decision as a victory, posting on social media that the briefing schedule brings the “ring leader of the derelict Democrats … closer to consequences.”

The Court has combined Abbott’s lawsuit against Houston Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, with a similar case brought by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who seeks to oust Wu along with 12 other Democratic members.

Although Abbott and Paxton initially disagreed over which office had the legal authority to file such suits, Paxton said Monday that he now looks forward to working alongside Abbott to “hold these cowards accountable.”