Texas Governor Warns of Arrests for Democrats

Texas Governor Greg Abbott cautioned state Democrats on Sunday that the potential for arrests upon their return to Texas could persist for “literally several years.”

In an interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday, Abbott maintained that he had the authority to continue calling special sessions of the Texas Legislature indefinitely, which he argues extends the consequences for Democrats who left the state.

“You can hold a special session every 30 days. It lasts for 30 days, and as soon as one ends, you’ll start another,” Abbott stated.

“If they come back to Texas, they’ll be arrested and brought to the Capitol. To avoid arrest, they may have to remain outside of Texas for, well, quite a while,” he added.

Abbott’s warning suggests that he believes these Democrats are not fulfilling their duties under the Texas Constitution as he pushes to remove those he deems delinquent from office.

“Right now, we have lawmakers who aren’t adhering to the law under Section 3 of the Texas Constitution; they need to act on the bills. By not doing so, they are failing their constitutional responsibilities, which means they haven’t honored their oath of office, and legal action may ensue,” he explained.

Approximately 50 Democrats left the state, which Abbott argues has hindered their ability to fulfill their roles. He emphasized that voting is a duty for elected officials, not just an option.

The majority of these Democrats have taken refuge in states like Illinois and New York, where they receive support from Democratic governors.

In addition to the threat of arrests, Abbott indicated he might push for an increase in the number of seats for his party if the lawmakers do not return to Austin.

“What I’m contemplating right now is that if they start showing up, I may consider expanding,” he mentioned during a podcast. “We could potentially add more seats, which would benefit the Republican side.”