Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has signed civil arrest warrants for the dozens of Democratic lawmakers who fled the state last month.
It’s been about four weeks since Texas Democrats walked out in protest of a vote-suppressing bill, preventing Republicans from reaching the quorum they need to vote on it. Most fled to Washington D.C., where they lobbied the federal government for voting rights reforms. The move also put them out of the jurisdiction of local officials and the kind of warrant Phelan just signed.
Because these arrest warrants are civil, not criminal, lawmakers won’t be taken to jail—just to the Capitol building, where they’ll then need Phelan’s permission to leave. Still, the threat of detainment probably isn’t exactly enticing Dems to return home. Although that might not really matter.
Republicans don’t need all the Democrats to return to the Capitol, just a quorum—two-thirds of a chamber’s members. In the Texas House, that means they need 100 of the 150 members present, and according to NPR, as of this Monday, they have 96.
Only about two dozen lawmakers remain in Washington, according to the Dallas Morning News, which first reported on the arrest warrants. And some of those who have stayed away are pretty upset with their colleagues who are now helping Republicans reclaim their quorum.
@jamestalarico @RepMaryGonzalez @moodyforelpaso you all threw us under the bus today! Why? pic.twitter.com/yD6ODZKFcP
— Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (@Ramos4Texas) August 9, 2021
For transparency purposes it is important to note that the following Democrats are on the Floor now & no longer breaking quorum:@jamestalarico @RepMaryGonzalez @moodyforelpaso @ArtFierro79
Quorum is still not met. Praying no other Democrats willingly go to Floor. https://t.co/bFzwRPrfMo
— Gina Hinojosa (@GinaForAustin) August 9, 2021
It appears that some of these Democrats see their mission as being complete, while others clearly disagree.
I’m home!
Our quorum break shined a national spotlight on the TX voter suppression bill and pushed Congress closer to passing a federal voting rights act to override it. I’m confident they will.
Now I’m back to clean up Greg Abbott’s latest messes from COVID to ERCOT. #txlege pic.twitter.com/9BBQOxbziz
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) August 9, 2021
Although, at the same time, COVID-19 seems to be making the rounds among Republicans in the Capitol, making it harder for them to reach that quorum after all.
More Republicans are out today due to Covid, about 10. They will need to quarantine for 2 weeks…there will likely be no quorum in Abbott’s second suppression session. pic.twitter.com/JscpVWZlrd
— Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (@Ramos4Texas) August 7, 2021
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has vetoed funding for the state legislature, saying, “funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session.” However, that funding also supports the lawmakers who remained, plus staffers and various legislative agencies.
(image: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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