Texas Governor’s Special Session and Democratic Resistance

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, mentioned that Texas Governor Greg Abbott is likely to compel Democrats to participate in a special session to discuss a new Congressional map. This comes after Democrats in the Texas state legislature previously fled to Illinois to prevent special sessions that could allow Republicans to gain up to five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Turley likened the Democratic strategy to a “breathing child” attempting to exert control over parents.

“Democrats have tried this approach before,” Turley noted during a conversation on “America Report” with Sandra Smith. He remarked that these tactics historically haven’t succeeded and compared it to a child holding their breath in hopes of getting their way. “Ultimately, you’re more likely to faint than to get what you want. In this case, the governor can simply call more special sessions,” he added.

Governor Abbott has threatened legal action against Democrats who left the state to prevent the Texas House of Representatives from achieving a quorum. He accused Democrats of raising funds to cover fines related to their absence from legislative sessions.

Previously, in 2021, Democrats moved to Washington, D.C. to block the passage of SB7, an election law, yet that bill ultimately went into effect after being signed by Abbott.

“What Abbott is suggesting is a challenging legal matter. He proposes that the Texas Attorney General could claim these lawmakers have vacated their offices,” Turley explained. “This requires going to court, and a judge would have to agree to that. A tough debate, indeed, since they need a significant majority to impact the situation—100 out of 150 members, to be exact,” he reiterated.

Turley continued, “When Abbott talks about fines and bribery, it’s about ensuring that these lawmakers cannot let others pay for them or accept funds during this dispute. It’s a prolonged standoff, and while the governor might prevail in the end, neither side seems to have a favorable outcome.”

He also pointed out that if the Democrats’ assertions about rezoning negatively affecting minority voters hold weight, then the court would invalidate the map. “If they believe that these redistricting efforts infringe on certain voters’ rights, there’s a legal avenue for them. Yet, they’re essentially preventing this from being assessed in court,” Turley stated. “We’re moving forward with our mapping strategies and will challenge them later. However, if this is deemed constitutional, it really undermines their argument.”