Three Democrat Texas lawmakers who fled the state to block an effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps told CBS News they’re willing to suffer the consequences.
They plan to stay out of the state for at least two weeks.
A total of 51 House Democrats flew to Illinois, New York and other states to avoid voting on the GOP redistricting. It temporarily halted the effort to create five more GOP-leaning House seats.
Democrat state Rep John Bucy III who fled to Illinois said that Democrats plan to stay there until the end of the legislative session. If the clock runs out without a vote on the new House maps Abbott has the power to immediately call another session.
State Rep James Talerico said Democrats will then “assess our options.”
Watch this quick clip to see what has been going on to turn states blue and silence all dissent and increase their power:
Governor Abbott ordered the Texas Department of public safety to arrest and return the Democrat members and investigate them for bribery because they accepted donations to help pay for their time in other states. He also suggested there’s a legal path to remove any absent Democrats from office.
It’s unclear if Governor Abbott can enforce arrests outside of Texas. Rice University political science professor Mark Jones told CBS News Republicans can make threats but as long as they’re out of the state there’s really nothing they can do.
Eventually there will be something they can do.
They Accept the Consequences
Talerico told CBS News that House Democrats “knew there would be consequences. We are fighting for representative democracy, and whether or not that will continue, and so we’re willing to face whatever consequences may come our way,” he said.
Why do I think they won’t accept any consequences and will raise the devil if any come to fruition?
This entire episode is a joke since Democrats believe in gerrymandering for Republicans and all of the runaways fled to heavily gerrymandered Democrat states.
Texas Republicans say it is not gerrymandering. The five districts would be majority Hispanic and the people coming into Texas are voting Republican. The maps are political decisions to have the state better reflect the people of Texas.
California started it this round, but Democrats have done it for some time. They have gerrymandered Republicans out of existence.
Hypocrisy is the Demoncrap ‘Hallmark’…They are spiritually and morally bankrupt…
Paxton should today be filing to remove them from the legislature. Texas law states that it can be done. Force the Texas Supreme Court to make a ruling.