Abbott Orders Arrest of Texas Dems Who Fled

With the 4 p.m. CT deadline having come and gone, Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows announced this afternoon he would sign arrest warrants against any absent Democrat lawmakers if authorized by a vote of the chamber. Shortly thereafter, the House did approve the warrants and Gov. Greg Abbott then swiftly called on the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the "delinquent Texas House Democrats."

The Democratic lawmakers ultimately did not return to Texas in time Monday to approve a quorum amid a fight to halt GOP efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps.

The Illinois State Democratic Party put out a press release shortly before the quorum in Texas was requested, indicating that "in a bold and unified response Texas House Democrats have denied a quorum." While several state Democrats appeared at an event in Illinois on Monday, a state that critics argue is heavily gerrymandered itself, other events aimed at fighting against Texas' redistricting efforts were also held in Albany, Boston and Chicago, according to the press release.

"Let me begin by commending the members who did show up," Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows said after the quorum was rejected. Meanwhile, Burrows slammed the absent Democrats and said he would not hesitate to sign civil arrest warrants if it is determined the lawmakers are in violation of the law.

"Pursuant to the rules of the House, I am prepared to recognize a motion to place a call on the House, and any other motions necessary, to compel the return of absent members," Burrows said Monday afternoon.

"Should such a motion prevail, I will immediately sign the warrants for the civil arrest of the members who have said they will not be here," he continued. "As speaker, I will do everything in my power to establish quorum and move this body forward by any and all means available to this office."

Earlier Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to expel and potentially prosecute Democratic lawmakers who have fled Texas to stop Republicans from moving ahead with efforts to redraw the state's congressional districts. GOP Texas State Sen. also filed Senate Bill 62 on Monday in an effort to fire the absent lawmakers for not showing up.

Most Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives, who Abbott has accused of potentially committing felonies, left the state on Sunday so that the House would not have enough votes for a quorum. Without a quorum, legislative proceedings cannot move forward. The lawmakers fled as Republicans have been trying to pass legislation establishing new congressional districts in the state, which Republicans argue have been unfairly gerrymandered in favor of Democrats and need to be adjusted.

Abbott told lawmakers in a letter sent Sunday that if they do not return by the time the house reconvenes at 4 p.m. ET he will "invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House."

"In addition to abandoning their offices, these legislators may also have committed felonies," Abbott added in his letter. "Many absentee Democrats are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules."

Earlier Monday, Abbott said it would be considered bribery "if any lawmaker took money to perform or to refuse to perform an act in the legislature."

Subsequently, following GOP lawmakers' approval of the arrest warrants for the absent Democrats, Abbott called on the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the "delinquent Texas House Democrats."

"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," Abbot said Monday in a press release announcing the move. "This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol."

In response to Abbott's threats, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., described the governor's actions as "all hat, no cattle," noting that there was "no basis to charge" the lawmakers. Jeffries comments came before the Texas state legislature's approval of the arrest warrants.

Democrats nationwide have responded to the GOP redistricting efforts in Texas with threats to do the same in Democratic-controlled states like New York and California.

Last week, Jeffries said during a press conference that "all options should be on the table" amid the Texas redistricting battle.

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said California should "fight fire with fire" when it comes to the GOP's mid-decade redistricting efforts.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared Monday that "the gloves are off," adding that she intends to explore "every option" to redraw her state's congressional maps "as soon as possible."

Congressional maps are typically redrawn once every 10 years, following the completion of the U.S. Census, but currently Texas is trying to re-draw their maps mid-decade without any new census data, or even a court order. Still, Abbott has insisted that "there's nothing illegal" about what Republicans are trying to do in Texas.

The new maps in Texas, which President Donald Trump supports, could potentially help Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives pick up five seats, the president said last month. Trump's Department of Justice previously sent Aboott a letter in early July, alleging that some congressional districts in Texas could be considered racially gerrymandered and in violation of the Constitution's 14th Amendment.