Abbott threatens Texas Democrats with removal of office if they don’t return by Monday – Washington Examiner
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a stern warning to over 50 Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled teh state to block a Republican-backed congressional redistricting plan by breaking quorum. The Democrats traveled to Chicago to delay a critical House vote scheduled for Monday. abbott threatened to remove any absent lawmakers from office under a Texas legal opinion that allows forfeiture of office due to abandonment,with vacancies to be swiftly filled or subjected to special elections. Additionally, Abbott warned that the Democrats could face felony charges related to accepting funds to cover fines for breaking quorum, suggesting this might constitute bribery. He also pledged to use full extradition authority to bring back any lawmakers who remain out of state. This follows statements by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton supporting arresting the lawmakers for fleeing their legislative duties. The standoff highlights intense partisan conflict over redistricting efforts in Texas.
Abbott threatens Texas Democrats with removal of office if they don’t return by Monday
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) pressured the more than 50 Texas Democrats who have fled the state in protest of a new congressional map proposal to return for the full House vote on Monday, or else face removal of office.
Abbott’s threat comes after 51 Texas Democratic lawmakers flew to Chicago on Sunday in order to break quorum, all but derailing the 3 p.m. Monday vote on a new congressional map that includes five redrawn districts designed to favor Republicans. The mass exodus was brokered by Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), who is now offering the state lawmakers any logistical assistance they need as most plan to stay in the Windy City for the next week.
In a statement on Sunday night, Abbott was firm that the Texas Democrats must return to the State Capitol for the 3 p.m. vote if they want to remain in office.
“For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House,” he said, citing a state legal interpretation that found a district court may remove a lawmaker if they have “forfeited his or her office due to abandonment” — in this case, intentionally breaking quorum and stalling voting.
Those removals would leave vacancies that could be filled by Abbott within 20 days, or else an election is ordered for the seat. The Texas governor said in his statement that he would “swiftly” fill them if needed.
Besides potential removal, Abbott said the state lawmakers may also face felony charges for taking in money to cover the $500-a-day fine for breaking quorum.
According to the Texas Tribune, Democratic donors were already gearing up to cover the lawmakers’ expenses incurred by their fleeing the state last week.
Abbott suggested this may amount to bribery due to the lawmakers accepting the funds to “assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote.”
“I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons,” Abbott’s statement concluded.
Abbott’s pledge to extradite the state House Democrats follows Attorney General Ken Paxton’s earlier skepticism about pursuing arrests out of state.
PAXTON BACKS ‘IMMEDIATE’ ARREST OF TEXAS DEMOCRATS WHO FLED STATE TO BLOCK GOP REDISTRICTING VOTE
“The House rules and the Senate rules both allow for these people to be arrested if they leave. … The challenge is, if they go out of state, we lose jurisdiction, and that — it’s been a challenge in the past,” he said on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast on Thursday.
But Paxton signaled on Sunday that he supports arresting the state Democrats, who he said have “fled their duties” and “should face the full force of the law without apology.”
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