Virtually all legislative or governmental bodies, from your local school board to Congress, have a quorum rule.
DALLAS — Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives have left the state to break quorum and put an end to Gov. Greg Abbott’s special-called session.
The Democrats are trying to delay or stop Republicans’ attempt to pass a congressional map that is more favorable to Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Republicans released the proposed map last week, which reshapes districts approved by the legislature in 2021 and could flip five districts to favor Republicans. President Donald Trump directed Texas leaders to find five seats for Republicans ahead of the special session.
After the proposed map passed out of committee last week, Democrats were left with few options to prevent its passing. As the minority party, Democratic legislators don’t have the political capital to prevent the maps from passing in Austin.
So, they left Austin for Chicago and broke quorum. Safe in a Democratic stronghold, the legislators have successfully prevented the special session from moving forward.
What does it mean to break quorum?
Virtually all legislative or governmental bodies, from your local school board to Congress, have a quorum rule.
Simply put, a quorum is the minimum number of members that must be present to conduct business and make official decisions.
In the case of the Texas House, two-thirds of its members must be present to reach a quorum. With 150 representatives in the House of Representatives, at least 51 Democrats must leave the state to break quorum. There are 62 Democrats in the House.
It’s unclear exactly how many Texas Democrats traveled to Chicago to break quorum.
In the Senate, 21 of the 31 members must be present to reach a quorum.
House Rules of Procedure state that without a quorum, “no business shall be transacted, except to compel the attendance of absent members or to adjourn.”
House rules also give the Speaker of the House the power to compel a quorum by locking all doors leading out of the hall and placing members under civil arrest.
Quorums have been a part of policymaking since the advent of the first democratic state. In ancient Athens, a quorum of 6,000 was required for some decisions.
What is the potential impact of breaking quorum?
By breaking quorum, Democrats have delayed but likely not stopped Republicans’ redistricting plan.
The current special session of the legislature will end on August 19, but Governor Greg Abbott can call as many special sessions as he likes to push redistricting and his other priorities through.
However, as long as Democrats remain outside the state, they have the power to prevent any legislation from advancing.
Though a legal move, Democrats could still face non-criminal penalties from Republicans.