The Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution Monday afternoon calling for the arrest of dozens of Democratic lawmakers who 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.
Chamber doors have been locked and House lawmakers have passed a motion to issue arrest warrants for Democratic state lawmakers who fled the state. pic.twitter.com/a34N9jiLpC
— Daniel Perreault (@DPerreaultTV) August 4, 2025
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.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott told the outlet Monday, “New York and Illinois are two hallmark states that have already done redistricting to eliminate Republicans.”
He noted that the Democrats who fled his state are also preventing critical flood-relief legislation from receiving a vote.
Do you think the Democrat lawmakers should be arrested?
“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 said.
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 after Republicans picked up several seats in the 2022 midterm elections, according to the New York Post.
The Republican delegation in the last Congress was 11, but in the current one it dropped to seven.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement Monday backing the Texas House’s resolution to arrest the absent Democrats.
“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,” he said, in part.
Paxton referenced a Texas Supreme Court decision from 2021, when Democrats fled the state to prevent a quorum on legislation involving voting in the state.
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.’”
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