4w ago

Texas Democrats leave the state to block vote on redrawn House map backed by Trump

apnews.com Texas Democrats arrive in Illinois to block vote back home on redrawn House maps sought by Trump

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session of the Legislature that started last month to take up the redistricting effort that President Donald Trump has urged.

Texas Democrats are leaving the state in an attempt to prevent the state House from holding a vote Monday on new congressional maps that Republicans hope will net them several additional U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

The dramatic move Sunday could expose Democrats to fines and other penalties — with the state’s attorney general having previously threatened to arrest them if they took such an action. Refusing to attend legislative session is a civil violation, however, so Democrats legally could not be jailed and it’s unclear who has the power to carry out the warrants.

Democrats have cast the decision to leave the state as a last-ditch effort to stop Republicans who hold full control of the Texas government from pushing through a rare mid-decade redrawing of the congressional map at the direction of President Donald Trump.

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Refusing to attend legislative session is a civil violation, however, so Democrats legally could not be jailed and it’s unclear who has the power to carry out the warrants.
Texas: Hold my beer.
- That's why they're leaving the state. It's conceivable that Texas Rangers could arrest lawmakers on these warrants for the purpose of returning them directly to the legislature. It's much less conceivable that Texas can get extradition from another state.
  
  Hopefully
  Trump: Hold my ~~beer~~ democracy
  I'm just not putting anything past him right now. He wants an official constitutional crisis sooo bad. The war of passive aggression is only fun when people are bowing down to him.
  I'm also just really worried since MAGA base hasn't let go of Epstein, he would use something like this as a distraction. Especially with all those new ICE hires who I'm sure would jump at the chance to receive a medal for violating the constitution on behalf of POTUS. But that is also just me being anxious and trying to prepare for worst case scenario.
  I'm glad they're at least trying to resist bc this is insane, and he's honestly left them with no other option. Even if they do just vote for it anyway, I'm not sure what else Dems really can do at this point? At least they're doing something.
  Hoping this is receiving local attention, but if TX news is looking anything like local news in my state rn I would guess that's a no.
  
  Last time Texas sent troopers to force their will on the North, it didn’t go so well.
- Watch Republicans just vote for it and it goes into effect. Not like Republicans care about rules or laws.
  
  If there's anything nice I can say about the Texas Legislature, it's that they like their rules and procedures. If they were to violate the rules in that way, we'd be entering an even darker moment in Texas politics
  
  Other slightly less worrisome and actually more likely worst case scenario.
  
  Well, it's not like anyone else is trying to stop them or anything. The ones who are supposed to are either sitting at home, or have left the state.
- So fucking true. They really have lost all accountability and are just begging people to try to stop them from bulldozing through what is left of America.
- This isn't the first time they've done this.
  
  Have they done it during Trump 2.0?
  This is really insane. The president of the United States, is asking the state to redraw local districts to help keep (Republican) and his grip on power.
  
  I think they were arrested last time. It was not this term. They were hiding out in Oklahoma or something like that.
  
  iirc.. 2003 or so, also a redistricting. first attempt at blocking the legislation was successful but a second one for a special session where only the numbers needed to deny a quorum left, was not--after a month or so one of them caved and went back to austin.
- Are they going to hold Ted Cruz to the same standards they come up with?
  
  No bc laws only apply to people who don't bow to the king. Trump insulted Ted Cruz's wife in front of the nation, and he still puckers up to kiss that ring at every chance he gets.
  
  No Kings for USA!

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