Texas state Rep. Ann Johnson, one of the Democrats who fled the state for Illinois, told CNN’s Pamela Brown that she viewed the quorum break as a “last tool” available to her and her colleagues to protest the Republican-backed redistricting effort.

Unlike most states, New York delegated redistricting powers to a 10-member bipartisan commission in 2014, under then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The commission draws up maps that can be approved or rejected by the State Legislature. The process was approved by New York voters in a statewide referendum.

Texas lawmakers gathered in New York to blast Republicans’ redistricting proposal after more than 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state ahead of a scheduled legislative session on Monday. As the GOP seeks to redraw congressional maps and add as many as five congressional seats in their favor,