Members of law enforcement in Texas were deputized and tasked with tracking down the absent Democratic state lawmakers and ordered to “immediately” arrest and bring them by force to the state capitol building.
Immediate arrest order given for rogue taxes Democratic lawmakers
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R), who signed 52 arrest warrants for missing Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday, stated that the arrest of the absent legislators “will begin in earnest immediately,” according to the Texas Tribune.
Previously, many of the lawmakers had sought protection through the courts. However, on Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court overruled a lower court order blocking the arrest of 45 Democratic lawmakers. The ruling cleared the way for Phelan to direct law enforcement to bring the lawmakers into the Capitol by force, the Daily Wire reported. A Monday morning deadline for response was set by the state Supreme Court.
The purpose of the actions of law enforcement is “to assist in the House’s efforts to compel a quorum,” according to an email statement from Phelan spokesperson Enrique Marquez.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson said warrants were signed for 52 Democrats who failed to return during the fourth day of the House’s second special session, leaving the chamber eight members short of a quorum.
Lawmakers will be brought back to state capitol
The absence of the Texas Democratic state lawmakers prevents the chamber from having a quorum, the number of present lawmakers needed to move legislation.
If arrested, the lawmakers who have refused to appear for work in the state capitol will not be charged with a crime or fined, according to the Texas Tribune. Instead, the order only allows law enforcement to bring them back to the state House chamber.
“Nobody can detain or drag us back to the House floor against our will,” Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, told The Texas Tribune in a statement. “We will not be willing participants in the silencing of our communities.”
The specific number of House Democrats who have returned to Texas after the initial group of 57 fled to Washington in mid-July is unclear. The departure occurred after an exodus blocked passage of new voting restrictions, the Washington Post reported.
Infighting among Democratic lawmakers as some return
On Monday, several of the missing Democratic lawmakers appeared on the House floor. Their appearance prompted a backlash from some of their colleagues who are still in Washington D.C., continuing their protest.
As many as 95 lawmakers were on the House floor at one time, the Daily Wire reported. However, the number of Democrats absent still left the legislative body five lawmakers short of a quorum, therefore, unable to pass bills.
