On Sunday, Texas House Democrats left for Illinois and other Democratic-leaning states in an effort to block a rezoning plan. This plan could potentially give the GOP an additional five Congressional seats ahead of the midterm elections.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a warning to the absent lawmakers, stating they needed to return to Texas by 3 PM on Monday.
However, those lawmakers appeared uninterested in complying.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shared with the co-founder of Blaze Media that the Democrats were caught up in a “waiting game” — one that would likely end in their favor.
“Honestly, I would have just locked them up at home. The Texas House speaker could’ve kept everyone inside,” Paxton remarked.
Still, he couldn’t enforce that, pointing out, “The cats are out of the bag now. They need to be arrested.”
After the Texas House Speaker, Dustin Burrows, declared that a quorum was unreachable, the House voted to issue a warrant for a Democratic lawmaker who failed to show up.
Following this, Abbott instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate and return the absent legislators, emphasizing their need to fulfill their obligations.
Paxton acknowledged that while it’s unlikely to arrest lawmakers out of state, they would eventually have to return home, as they have lives and jobs to attend to. “It’s just cold in places like Illinois and New York,” he added.
Some Texas Democrats might face felony charges for allegedly seeking funds to circumvent the quorum rule and avoiding hefty fines. Abbott ordered an investigation into potential violations of Texas law, including bribery.
“That’s not exactly a prison sentence,” remarked Paxton, referencing any penalties. “But you know, being stuck on the House floor in Texas could feel like one.”
In a discussion with Beck, Paxton touched on how the law might allow for the removal of lawmakers for abandoning their posts, which would, in turn, create vacancies for Abbott to fill.
While this removal process could influence quorum requirements, it doesn’t seem like a swift solution either. “It’s not going to happen quickly, but we’re trying to find a way to speed things up,” Paxton continued. “In the end, we’ll see how it turns out.”
