Governor Abbott orders Texas Rangers to investigate Democrats who left the state, claiming they broke the law and are evading their duties.
The fight over redistricting continues with Governor Abbott signing arrest warrants for house democrats who left the state breaking quorum.
On Sunday, 51 Democrats flew to Chicago with others traveling to Albany, New York and Boston.
Governor Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers to see if Texas House Democrats did in fact break Texas law by taking off and refusing to come back for the special session.
The governor posted on “X” saying any Democrat who is requesting money to cover their daily $500 no show fine may be committing bribery.
Governor Abbott wants Rangers to send any info they find to prosecutors as soon as possible.
State Representative Jolanda Jones of Houston, who is also a practicing attorney says the Governor has no merit to stop Democrats from what they’re doing.
“My practice is criminal defense work. There is no felony in the Texas penal code or what he says, so, respectfully, he’s making up some s***,” said Jones. “He’s trying to get soundbites, and he has no legal mechanism. If he did, subpoenas from Texas don’t work in New York. He’s going to come get us; how? Subpoenas in Texas don’t work in Chicago. He’s going to come get us; how?”
State Representative John Bucy III of Austin says what they’re doing isn’t for popularity with the Democratic party but a fight to have a fair and equal democracy.
“Look, I didn’t run for office to walk out of the capitol, but I also didn’t run for office to stand by while democracy is stolen in broad daylight. Texas democrats broke quorum because sometimes the only way to uphold your oath is to refuse to play along with the rigged game,” said Bucy. “The governor can lie all he wants, but we’re not running away, we’re running into the fight. Texas Democrats are standing up for one of our most basic American principles, the right to representation.”
Texas House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Mihaela Plesa says Democrats will be moving to different spots across the nation to raise awareness on what’s happening.
Tuesday, San Antonio State Representative Barbara Gervin Hawkins spoke in Illinois saying what they’re doing isn’t a Texas fight, but a fight for America.
“My republican colleagues in Texas, you’re wrong for this. You’re wrong for this. You already have the governor’s office. You’re the majority in the senate,” Rep. Gervin Hawkins said. “The majority in the house. What more do you want. What more do you want. It’s time to love America again.”
In Austin, House Speaker Dustin Burrows called for Democrats to be arrested who weren’t in Monday’s special session.
State Representative Brian Harrison in the DFW area says the GOP is working within their rights.
“If it’s what the voters of our state want us to do, which I firmly believe that it is, especially when you look at the fact that they re-elected President Trump with a 14 point landslide in Texas, it’s something that we are allowed to do,” Rep. Harrison said.
The last day of this special session is August 19.
Governor Abbott still has the power to call another special session to address the issue, but each of those sessions is limited to 30 days.