On Tuesday night, Governor Greg Abbott initiated a lawsuit aimed at urging the Texas Supreme Court to remove House Democrat Caucus Speaker Jean Wu and several of her colleagues. This action comes after Wu and most of her Democratic counterparts left the state in protest against the GOP’s intent to appoint Congressional agents.
“I’ve taken emergency measures to start the process of removing these abandoned Democrats from the Texas House of Representatives, who are refusing to participate in special sessions,” Governor Abbott stated in a social media post. He informed the Texas Supreme Court explicitly about his authority to pursue this action.
Earlier on Sunday, Abbott had directed the House Democrats who absconded to Illinois to disrupt the legislative process to return or face potential replacements for their seats.
“This truancy ends now,” Abbott remarked late Sunday. “These absent Democrats need to return to Texas and be present when the House reconvenes at 3 PM on August 4, 2025,” he added, emphasizing that absent members might be removed from their positions in light of a recent opinion from the Texas Attorney General.
According to the Attorney General, the critical question is whether Texas law permits lawmakers to be considered abandoned, leading to a vacancy. The ruling concludes that determining if a lawmaker has vacated their office is a matter for the court to decide.
Breitbart News reported that House Democrats left the state to prevent the legislature from advancing a proposal regarding Texas Senate District boundaries. Chairman Jean Wu has accused the governor of using “racist maps” to undermine the representation of millions of Black and Latino Texans, alleging unethical political maneuvering.
The Democrats have not complied with the governor’s orders to return to the Capitol.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has backed Abbott’s lawsuit in front of the state’s Supreme Court. “We will employ every means necessary to compel the runaway Democrats to come back to Texas and face accountability for their quorum-breaking actions,” Paxton stated. He reiterated his authority to take legal action against House members whom he considers to be neglecting their duties.
Abbott proceeded directly with his filings to the Texas Supreme Court and bypassed other local and appellate courts, referencing constitutional provisions in his letter. Late Tuesday, the court requested a response from Chairman Jean Wu by 5 PM on August 8 concerning the emergency petition.
In response to Abbott’s moves against her, Wu declared, “I took an oath to the Constitution, not to any political agenda.” She insisted that her absence was consistent with her responsibilities rather than a neglect of duty.
Wu’s statement did not clarify whether she would formally reply to the lawsuit by the impending deadline.
