Texas Democrats Walk Out, Again, to Protect Voting Power
Texas Democrats are attempting to block a Republican-led redistricting push by denying the state House the quorum— the number of members required to conduct legislative business—to move forward. After dozens of lawmakers left the state, GOP leaders issued civil arrest warrants and enlisted state troopers to track them down, according to multiple outlets, including CNN.
“If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences,” said House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, who also told reporters that consequences “include fines.”
Gov. Greg Abbott responded by accusing Democrats of abandoning their duties. “I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state Legislature because they are not doing the job they were elected to do,” he said in a Fox News interview. “Real Texans don’t run from a fight.”
Democrats, however, pushed back on both legal and moral grounds. “He has no legal mechanism,” said Rep. Jolanda Jones. “Subpoenas from Texas don’t work in New York,” she added. “He’s putting up smoke and mirrors.”
Speaking from outside the state, Rep. Julie Johnson added: “I never thought as a Texan … that I would see the governor of the proud state of Texas bend a knee to a felon from New York.”
Some lawmakers say the legal claims used to justify arrest threats are flimsy.
University of Houston law professor David Froomkin described the matter as “baseless”, noting that absences are clearly tied to current legislative debate. He added that Abbott may be “using the mere possibility of legal wrangling over their jobs to intimidate lawmakers into returning.”
The stakes are high. “This is not just rigging the system in Texas,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. “It’s about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also weighed in: “We’re not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law-breaking cowboys. If Republicans are willing to rewrite rules to give themselves an advantage, then they’re leaving us with no choice: We must do the same. You have to fight fire with fire.”
