A bomb threat led to the evacuation of a hotel in the Chicago area. This situation arose while some Texas Democrats were attempting to avoid Republican colleagues from voting on new Congressional district maps.
Texas Democrats, protesting against the district bill, temporarily left the Q Center Hotel and Convention Center in St. Charles, Illinois, roughly 40 miles from Chicago, on Wednesday morning. Report CBS News.
The St. Charles Police Department stated that they arrived at the hotel around 7:15 AM and conducted “a thorough search,” ultimately finding “no device.”
In response to the threat, about 400 occupants were evacuated immediately, and the bomb squad was deployed to secure the area. Once authorities cleared the situation, all guests and staff were allowed to return safely to the hotel.
In a joint statement, Texas Democrats Jean Wu, Ramon Romero, and Barbara Gelvin Hawkins expressed, “A threat has been put on the safety of Texas House Democrats.” Joint Statement
“We are safe and unharmed. We appreciate the quick actions of our local law enforcement agency and Governor Pritzker,” added the Texas representatives.
Meanwhile, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker remarked that “the threat of violence will be investigated and the person responsible will be held accountable,” noting he had directed the Illinois State Police to look into the incident.
Breitbart News reported that Texas House Democrats traveled to Illinois on Sunday to block their Republican colleagues from achieving a quorum needed for voting on Congressional districting this week.
Discussions on the proposed maps and a possible full house vote were set for Monday.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated, “A Texas Democrat who tries to escape like a coward should be found, arrested, and brought back to Capitol immediately.” I said.
“We should use all our resources to confront those who think they’re above the law,” Paxton added.
On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott filed a lawsuit in the state’s Supreme Court against his Democratic House colleagues after the removal process of Wu, the chairman of the Texas House of Representatives Caucus, and his colleagues, who fled Texas to obstruct quorum.
