Texas Republicans are set to reconvene after they voted to issue civil arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state to stop a GOP-led redistricting effort. The Texas House authorized the warrants for dozens of Democratic lawmakers who didn’t appear and denied the Texas House a quorum necessary to move forward with redistricting. The warrants empowered state troopers to arrest the absent Democrats and bring them to the Capitol. However, the Democrats who left the state fled to Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts, three Democratic-led states outside Texas law enforcement’s authority without local officials’ cooperation. Since the Democrats aren’t breaking any criminal or state laws, it wouldn’t be possible for officials to seek the lawmakers’ extradition from the states they’re holed up in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said he had signed civil warrants for the Democratic lawmakers who fled the state and that House Republicans will work with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to locate members. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would do “everything in my power” to force Democrats back to Austin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republicans tried a similar tactic to force an end to Democrats’ 2021 quorum break, but the Texas Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that the House does have the authority physically compel the attendance of absent members. In the wake of that 2021 quorum break, the Texas House also adopted new rules that allow for $500-per-day fines for those who are absent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n