Talk about unexpected consequences.
As the consequences set to befall the Democrats who fled Texas may well be more severe than anticipated.
According to a report from The Hill, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is not at all amused by the fact that multiple Democrat lawmakers fled the state in order to upset quorum.
Quorum refers to the minimum of lawmakers necessary to advance legislation, and an absence of quorum means that measures cannot move forward.
One such measure includes the ongoing redistricting effort in Texas, which critics argue will disadvantage Democrats in the midterm elections.
Then again, critics argue against virtually anything that any Republican does these days … unless, of course, a given Republican is openly working against the Republicans and in conjunction with the Democrats, for some reason or another.
Clearly, Democrat lawmakers were not interested in a redistricting measure that could further disempower them.
So they opted to flee the state. Much to the anger of Abbott.
“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans. By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty,” Abbott declared in a statement.
Are there ever. Some of which are likely unexpected.
The Hill noted that “breaking quorum … means each lawmaker incurs a daily penalty of $500 and the possibility of being arrested.”
Pricey. Though other consequences are even worse. Such as being arrested, for instance.
“Speaker Dustin Burrows just issued a call of the Texas House and issued warrants to compel members to return to the chamber. To ensure compliance, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans. This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol,” Abbott added.
Yikes.
Unlike New York, Texas is not exactly fond of “zero bail” policies and their ilk. Which means that any arrested Democrats may not be able to weasel their way out of any institution that easily.
That said, it is a bit unlikely that any lawmaker will actually end up in jail … though stranger things have surely happened.
Abott’s sentiments were reinforced by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who reiterated the potential arrest of Democrat lawmakers on his official social media page.
“Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law,” Paxton asserted on X.
Interestingly, a different report from The Hill underscored a completely different perspective of the apparently wayward Democrats.
A billionaire perspective, to be clear. A billionaire who is also the governor of a state renowned for its violent crime and sanctuary cities.
J.B Pritzker, the billionaire Governor of Illinois, has made it abundantly clear that he is eager to shelter the wayward Democrats, regardless of their responsibilities to Texas.
“They’re here in Illinois. We’re going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them and make sure that – ’cause we know they’re doing the right thing, we know that they’re following the law,” Pritzker asserted.
Pray tell, Governor Prtizker, which law might that be? The law that mandates legislators to disrupt the legislative process via a severe disruption of quorum?
What an interesting law that must be!
Naturally, Pritzker did not exactly clarify the exact law, but he sure did clarify specific individuals who have deeply provoked his ire.
“It’s Ken Paxton who doesn’t follow the law. It’s the leaders of Texas who are attempting not to follow the law … They’re the ones that need to be held accountable,” Pritzker insisted.
Uh huh.
It will be interesting to see if Pritzker maintains this same attitude when other states begin their own redistricting races.
While Texas has become widely acknowledged as “ground zero” in the redistricting battle, Democrats from New York to California have also threatened retaliation with their own gerrymandering efforts.
Tit for tat, in other words.
So, while California Governor Gavin Newsom is obviously positioning himself for the 2028 presidential race, he appears to be positioning California for another public relations battle against Texas even sooner.
Though something suggests that Texas may well emerge the victor … just as it did when it gained electoral votes that California lost.
Author: Ofelia Thornton
