Texas isn’t known for messing around. When they want stuff done, they get it done.
And now Greg Abbott threatened to remove Democrat politicians after they made a disgusting move.
Abbott’s Decisive Action Against Democratic Walkout
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott took a bold stand on August 3, vowing to pursue the removal of Democratic state lawmakers from office if they fail to return by Monday afternoon, following their exodus to Illinois and New York to block a vote on new congressional maps.
Citing a 2021 non-binding legal opinion by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Abbott suggested that absent lawmakers could face forfeiture of their offices and accused them of potential felonies for fundraising to cover fines. His firm leadership aims to ensure Texas’s legislative process serves its citizens, prioritizing electoral fairness and state priorities like flood relief.
Democratic Quorum Break Halts Redistricting Vote
The Texas House Democrats, holding 62 of 150 seats, fled the state to deny the two-thirds quorum needed to vote on redistricting maps that would create five new Republican-leaning seats, strengthening the GOP’s current 25-to-13 seat advantage.
At least 51 Democrats left, with some welcomed in Chicago by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has criticized Trump’s agenda.
State Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic Caucus leader, stated, “We will do whatever it takes. What that looks like, we don’t know,” signaling an indefinite protest. Democrats issued a defiant four-word response, “Come and take it.”
This tactic echoes a 2021 walkout over voting restrictions, which delayed but did not prevent passage. Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows affirmed the chamber would meet Monday, warning, “If a quorum is not present… all options will be on the table.”
Paxton, a U.S. Senate candidate, called for the arrest of absent lawmakers, citing a 2021 Texas Supreme Court ruling allowing leaders to “physically compel” attendance, though no Democrats were forcibly returned that year.
Implications for Texas and National Politics
The standoff delays not only redistricting but also critical votes on flood relief following Texas’s catastrophic July floods, which k*lled at least 136 people.
Democrats prioritized flood response over redistricting, criticizing Republicans for not addressing it first.
Meanwhile, Democratic governors like Pritzker and California’s Gavin Newsom have supported Texas Democrats, with Pritzker hosting lawmakers and planning with Texas Democratic Chair Kendall Scudder since June.
Pritzker framed the redistricting as “rigging the system against the rights of all Americans,” while Abbott’s supporters argue his stance protects Texas’s ability to shape its electoral future, aligning with Trump’s strategy to maintain GOP House control after Democrats flipped it in 2018.
New House rules from 2023 impose $500 daily fines for absent lawmakers, bolstering Abbott’s leverage.
