Texas Home Republicans on Monday voted 85-6 to authorize the Home sergeant-at-arms and associated officers to trace down and civilly arrest Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP redistricting efforts.
“The sergeant-at-arms and any officers appointed by her are directed to ship for all absentees whose attendance is just not excused for the needs of securing and sustaining their attendance underneath warrant of arrest, if crucial, till additional order of the Home,” stated Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows, the speaker of the Texas Home of Representatives.
Shortly after the vote, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott stated he ordered the Texas Division of Public Security to search out and arrest the Democrats who fled the state, an order which can stay in impact till they’re “accounted for and introduced again” to Austin.
The warrants, nonetheless, haven’t any energy exterior state strains and it is unclear to what extent, if in any respect, Texas legislation enforcement might and will coordinate with their counterparts within the related states.
Later Monday, Abbott stated he had requested the Texas Rangers to analyze the Democrats who left the state for potential legislation violations — together with bribery for soliciting funds to assist their effort.
“Studies point out that many absentee Texas Home Democrats have solicited or acquired funds to evade conducting legislative enterprise and casting votes. Beneath the Texas Penal Code, any of these Democrats who solicit, settle for, or agree to simply accept such funds to help within the violation of legislative duties or for functions of skipping a vote might have violated bribery legal guidelines. Additionally, it might be a bribery violation for some other one who provides, gives, or agrees to supply such funds to fleeing Democrat Home members,” the governor stated in an announcement.
The transfer comes amid a showdown over a Republican-led effort, backed by President Donald Trump, to create a brand new congressional map with management of the U.S. Home doubtlessly at stake.
Abbott had given Texas Home Democrats a deadline of three p.m. native time on Monday to return to the statehouse for the particular session or danger shedding their jobs. Texas Lawyer Normal Ken Paxton advised Democrats who left needs to be arrested and forcibly introduced again, although he later admitted that may be a “problem.”
The response from the Texas Home Democratic Caucus to Abbott’s menace was, “Come and take it.”
Texas Home members who left the state have been slated to carry numerous occasions all through the day Monday in Democrat-led states.
The proposed congressional map might create as much as 5 new Republican seats and assist the celebration maintain management of the Home within the 2026 midterm elections. Consideration of the invoice had been set for Monday, however could not proceed because the lacking Democrats denied a quorum.
The State Capitol is seen on July 21, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Photos
Democrats maintain occasions in New York, Massachusetts and Illinois
The primary information convention with Texas Democrats on Monday was with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in Albany. Hochul’s message for Texas Home Democrats was, “You might be on the appropriate facet of historical past. And you are not alone.”
“As I stated, historical past will choose us and the way we reply to this second. However right here in New York, we is not going to stand on the sidelines with the timid souls on the sidelines who do not care and won’t make investments their coronary heart and soul into this battle. This can be a warfare,” Hochul continued. “We’re at warfare and that is why the gloves are off. And I say, carry it on.”
Hochul stated that she would search to disband or change New York’s unbiased redistricting fee via a constitutional modification in response to Texas — however admitted that doing so wouldn’t be attainable earlier than the 2028 election. Beneath former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Yorkers handed a constitutional modification in 2014 prohibiting partisan redistricting.
Texas Home Democrats who’ve gone to Massachusetts for the Nationwide Convention of State Legislators summit will maintain a press convention in Boston on Monday afternoon. Then, Texas Home Democrats who’ve gathered in Illinois will maintain a press convention with Democratic members of Congress in Chicago on Monday evening.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a press convention with members of the The Texas Home Democratic Caucus in Albany, Aug. 4, 2025.
ABC Information
Texas State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat, spoke with ABC Information from Illinois and confirmed he plans to remain out of the state for the remaining two weeks of the particular session.
“To be gone from my household, from my state, is just not a contented factor for me. However why I’m doing it’s because the Republicans are attempting to alter the principles of the sport halfway via the last decade,” Talarico informed ABC Information Correspondent Jay O’Brien.
Talarico additionally characterised the Republican redistricting effort as a ploy by Trump to rig the election.
“It’s all-time low for individuals like Greg Abbott and Donald Trump. Sadly, I’ve come to count on nothing much less from them, however it’s nonetheless immoral and disgusting and outrageous, and we should always all reject it no matter our political celebration,” Talarico added.
Abbott, Paxton threaten motion in opposition to Democrats
Abbott, in his warning to Texas Home Democrats, stated leaving the state in protest amounted to “abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state workplace.”
The governor stated in the event that they did not return by 3 p.m. native time on Monday, he would invoke Texas Lawyer Normal Opinion No. KP-0382 to take away the lacking Democrats from membership within the Texas Home. He additional went on to say the lawmakers who left “may have dedicated felonies” by fundraising with a view to pay the $500 effective they danger accruing every day they’re absent.
“Our fellow Texans are being let down and never getting the flood aid they want, as a result of these Democrats have absconded from the duty, and I imagine they’ve forfeited their seats within the state legislature as a result of they don’t seem to be doing the job they have been elected to do,” Abbott stated throughout an interview with Fox Information on Monday.
Paxton, in a social media submit, wrote that “Democrats within the Texas Home who try to run away like cowards needs to be discovered, arrested, and introduced again to the Capitol instantly. We should always use each instrument at our disposal to seek out those that assume they’re above the legislation.”
What’s at stake
The brand new congressional map was proposed by Texas Republicans following a push by Trump for maps extra favorable to Republicans to assist the celebration maintain the bulk within the Home in 2026. Presently, Home Republicans are working with a slim majority.
Trump has stated he needs Republicans to select up 5 new seats in Texas and others across the nation. Democrats have slammed the transfer and stated it dangers hurting minority voters.
Requested by Fox Information why he’s pushing for brand new districts, Abbott stated it’s partly to dismantle “coalition districts” (the place racial minority teams collectively make up a lot of the inhabitants) and to redraw districts primarily based on political issues.
“Gerrymandering could be performed or drawing strains could be performed on the idea of political make-up, as in Republican versus Democrat, and there is nothing unlawful about that,” Abbott stated. “After which if you have a look at the end result of the latest presidential election, all these districts which can be being added are districts that have been received by Trump.”
Texas’ redistricting effort has prompted some Democrat-led states to analyze related strikes to “battle hearth with hearth,” as California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has stated. Newsom is contemplating calling a particular session on redistricting in November to make the state’s congressional map extra Democrat-friendly. Newsom stated Monday that California Democrats have or are almost performed with a draft of a brand new map.
“No matter they’re doing [in Texas] can be neutered right here within the state of California, and they’re going to pay that value,” Newsom stated.
Because the redistricting battle heats up, a Home Republican will introduce laws to ban mid-decade redrawing of congressional maps nationwide.
California GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley will formally introduce the invoice on Tuesday which can “nullify new maps adopted by states earlier than the 2030 census, together with any which can be adopted this 12 months.” The invoice’s future stays unsure, nonetheless, because it’s unlikely to be backed by Home Republican management.
ABC Information’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
