Gov. Abbott orders arrest of Texas Democrats in legislative standoff
Arrest warrants issued as Texas Democrats flee state
Texas House Democrats held a press conference on Monday to explain their decision to break quorum and leave the state, while Republicans issued civil arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers in an attempt to compel their return.
AUSTIN, Texas – Legislation in the Texas house is stalled because of a walkout by Texas’ Democratic representatives.
The house was set to vote on the proposed redistricting map, but there were not enough members present to conduct business.
What we know:
Statements from the Democrats say the special legislative session was supposed to focus on the deadly July flooding in Central Texas, but the focus shifted to redistricting.
Texas Democrats jetted away from the state on Sunday, forcing a standoff between Republicans and Democrats in the house.
The Texas House has rules to fine lawmakers $500 each day they break a quorum.
Abbott issues ultimatum as Texas Democrats break quorum in redistricting fight
Texas House Democrats say they traveled to Chicago to avoid further movement in the state’s redistricting process.
Texas Democrats on breaking quorum
What they’re saying:
Dallas State Rep. and House Minority Whip Venton Jones (D) is with the group of Democrats in Illinois and was asked what would happen if the governor calls another special session.
“I plan to stay out of the state of Texas as long as it is needed to be able to fight this,” said Jones.
“I think what’s most important is to focus on the next two weeks of this special session and be prepared for whatever comes next. But I think that what we are clear in our message, that we will continue to fight for the 31 million Texans that exist in this state, not just those who are in our political party, not just those who see our rationale, but for all Texans. And that’s exactly why we’re here today.”
Texas Redistricting Effort Explained | SPECIAL COVERAGE
The redistricting process can be complex. FOX 4 has you covered. Reporters Shaun Rabb and Steven Dial break it down for viewers in a podcast special.
Some democrats are breaking quorum by staying in New York. Houston State Rep. Jolanda Jones said in response to Abbott.
“Respectfully, he is making up some sh*t. He is trying to get soundbites, and he has no legal mechanism. And if he did, subpoenas from Texas don’t work in New York. So, he is going to come get us. How?”
The following quotes are excerpted from Democrats’ statements on Sunday:
- State Rep. Ann Johnson (Houston) – “We’ve reached a line I won’t cross. Abbott’s map is a direct assault on our constitution. If we’re not willing to put ourselves in the way of that, we shouldn’t be here.”
- State Rep. Gina Hinojosa (central Travis County) – “We should be in Austin right now, working to support grieving communities devastated by the July 4th floods that took more than 135 of our fellow Texans – many of them families and children. That’s what Texans deserve in the wake of a horrific tragedy.”
- State Rep. James Talarico (Travis County) – “We’re not just fighting for Democrats — we’re fighting for Independents and Republicans too. Because in a democracy, voters are supposed to choose their politicians — not the other way around.”
- Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder – “Your right to representation in your government is under attack, and Texas Democrats will protect your rights through any means necessary. We’re backing our Democratic lawmakers who are fighting against Trump’s Texas Takeover nationwide.
The backstory:
Under the proposed map, it could result in Democrats losing at least one seat in North Texas, Houston, Austin and South Texas.
Proposed Texas redistricting map would drastically shift Democrat-held seats
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he would like to gain five congressional seats through a midterm redistricting effort in the state.
Abbott issues deadline for Texas Democrats
Governor Greg Abbott slammed Democrats over the quorum break following a Texas House Democrat press conference in Chicago on Sunday.
Governor Abbott issued a statement outlining the legal consequences that House Democrat members face for breaking the quorum, following the conclusion of the Texas Democrat press conference in Chicago on Sunday night.
In the statement, Abbott issued a deadline for Texas Democrats to return to the state and attend the special session by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, August 4.
“The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House.”
In an interview on Monday with FOX News, Abbott continued to slam Texas Democratic representatives and stated the walkout is stalling legislation. While that is true, no bill for flood victim relief has been put up for debate yet.
“They’re very un-Texan. Texans don’t run from a fight,” said Abbott.
“Our fellow Texans are being let down and not getting the flood relief they need because these Democrats have absconded from the responsibility and I believe they have forfeited their seats in the State Legislature because they’re not doing the job they were elected to do.”
Abbott & Paxton orders the arrest of Texas House Democrats
Big picture view:
Republicans are pushing for the Democratic members to be arrested and brought back to Austin after they failed to show up at the 3:00 p.m. deadline.
Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, released a statement calling for “rogue Democrat lawmakers” to be “swiftly arrested”.
“Instead of showing up to work and doing the jobs they were elected to do, House Democrat members have fled the state in a cowardly desertion of their responsibilities as elected officials. These jet-setting runaways abandoned Texas, abdicated their duties in the House, and sacrificed their constituents for a publicity stunt,” said Attorney General Paxton.
“I am prepared to do everything in my power to hold them accountable because these liberal lawmakers are not above the law. It’s imperative that they be swiftly arrested, punished, and face the full force of the law for turning their backs on the people of Texas.”
Gov. Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest House Democrats.
“By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty,” said Abbott.
“Speaker Dustin Burrows just issued a call of the Texas House and issued warrants to compel members to return to the chamber. To ensure compliance, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans. This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol.”
Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382
Dig deeper:
Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382, issued in 2021, addresses whether a Texas legislator can be considered to have abandoned their office, thereby creating a vacancy, if they intentionally break a quorum.
The opinion concluded that while a vacancy may occur by abandonment of office, whether a specific legislator has done so is a “fact question for a court” to decide. It further states that a district court can, through a “quo warranto” action, determine that a legislator has forfeited their office due to abandonment and remove them, thereby creating a vacancy.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by statements issued by the Texas Governor and Texas Attorney General. Additional information was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4’s Steven Dial and previous FOX News reporting.
