Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fully supported a Texas House of Representatives’ resolution passed Monday to arrest the absent Democratic lawmakers.
Texas House Republicans passed the resolution after Democratic lawmakers fled the state to prevent a congressional redistricting vote from going forward.
At least 100 of the 150 members of the Texas House must be present for a quorum so business can be conducted.
Some of the Democrats went to the blue states of Illinois and New York to keep the redistricting vote from happening.
Republicans currently hold 25 of the Lone Star State’s 38 congressional seats, and if the change goes through, it could be 30 of the 38, according to Fox News.
Paxton issued a statement Monday regarding the Texas House Democrats, saying, “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.”
House Democrats have fled the state in a cowardly desertion of their responsibilities.
These jet-setting runaways abandoned Texas and sacrificed their constituents for a publicity stunt. It’s imperative that they be swiftly arrested, punished, and face the full force of the law. pic.twitter.com/1P66QxSJIz
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) August 4, 2025
Paxton referenced a Texas Supreme Court decision from 2021, when Democrats fled the state to prevent a quorum on legislation involving election law in the state.
Should these rogue Texas Democrats be put behind bars?
The Court held, “After examining the text and history of article III, section 10, together with the relevant judicial precedent, we conclude that the disputed provision means just what it says. The Texas Constitution empowers the House to ‘compel the attendance of absent members’ and authorizes the House to do so ‘in such manner and under such penalties as [the] House may provide.’”
Paxton told Newsmax Monday that his office is prepared to take legal action in court against each individual member to force their return to Texas. Further, the next step could be to remove the legislators from office for failure to perform their job.
“I’m very confident we’re going to get this done, and we’re going to get a win,” Paxton said regarding passing the congressional redistricting plan.
As Texas Democrats have fled the state to protest a district map re-drawing — and could face arrest in doing so — the Lone Star State’s Attorney General Ken Paxton joins @SchmittNYC to weigh the legal reality of the lawmakers’ clash. pic.twitter.com/CI699sLP5j
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) August 4, 2025
During a Fox News interview Monday, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott could not help but note the irony of the lawmakers fleeing to the blue states they did.
“New York and Illinois are two hallmark states that have already done redistricting to eliminate Republicans,” he said.
“I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state legislature because they are not doing the job they were elected to do,” the governor added.
Texans don’t run from a fight—they face it head on.
These Texas Democrats that fled the state are not serving Texans. They are serving themselves.
They forfeited their seats and are facing potential felony charges. pic.twitter.com/Pe3d50WyVX
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 4, 2025
New York Democrats pushed through a new congressional map last year after Republicans picked up several seats in the 2022 midterm elections, according to the New York Post.
NY Democrats ram through new congressional map that will give them an edge in elections — then changes law to limit challenges https://t.co/GgN3TDhADn pic.twitter.com/MnKGTcjtez
— New York Post (@nypost) March 1, 2024
The Republican delegation in the last Congress was 11, but in the current one it dropped to seven.
This is one of the reasons that the GOP holds such a narrow majority overall, at 219 to 212, despite Trump performing so well at the top of the ticket and many other downballot races swinging in the Republicans’ favor.
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