Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made a bold statement against House Democrats who have left the state. His aim is to address their absence, which he believes is a maneuver to prevent Republicans from advancing their agenda and potentially winning more seats by mid-2026.
“This truancy is over now,” Abbott declared, insisting that the absent Democrats must return for a House session scheduled for 3 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. He emphasized that legal action might be taken, referencing Texas Judicial Opinion No. KP-0382, aimed at removing those Democrats from the Texas Legislature.
The Texas Democrats argue that their departure is intended to deny Republicans the quorum, or the minimum number of lawmakers required to conduct business.
Many of these lawmakers have relocated to states like Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts, which are led by Democrats and supported by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
In his remarks, Abbott warned that Democrats accepting funds designed to help them evade fines might be at risk of felony bribery charges. He also reiterated that he would use full extradition powers to compel the return of any out-of-state lawmakers.
“Real Texans aren’t running away from the fight, yet that’s exactly what most Texas House Democrats have done,” Abbott stated. “Rather than fulfilling their responsibilities and voting on critical laws affecting all Texans, they chose to escape and hinder the legislative process.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton echoed Abbott’s sentiments, labeling these Democrats as “cowards” and asserting that they should be quickly located, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol.
“We must utilize every tool at our disposal to bring those who think they’re above the law to justice,” Paxton remarked in a post on social media.
