Texas House fails to meet quorum Friday as Democrats continue standoff, head to California ahead of redistricting hearing
The Texas House failed to meet quorum again on Friday, with only 95 lawmakers present. Lawmakers were told to return to the Capitol on Monday.
After the Texas House failed to make a quorum on Tuesday, Texas Democrats were told to return to Austin by Friday or face consequences.
The Democratic lawmakers spent the week in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts. On Friday, they are expected to meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom in California.
The Texas House reconvened Tuesday afternoon in Austin after Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an effort to block a redistricting vote. Democratic lawmakers were not in attendance, making it the second day in a row the House didn't meet a quorum.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has since suspended direct deposits for lawmakers who left the state, intensifying pressure to restore quorum during the special session.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shared a stern warning aimed at the House Democrats if they don't return to the Capitol by Friday: "The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines. If you don't show up to work, you get fired."
Paxton has also launched an investigation into the Texas Majority Project PAC, a group founded by former staffers of Beto O'Rourke and reportedly funded by billionaire George Soros, over allegations of illegal support for Democratic lawmakers who left Texas to block Republican-backed redistricting legislation. He announced the investigation just one day after launching a separate probe into Powered by People, a PAC founded by O'Rourke himself.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday ordered the civil arrest of Democratic lawmakers who fled the state. By Wednesday, Sen. John Cornyn said that FBI Director Kash Patel responded to his request to assist state and local law enforcement in "locating the runaway Texas House Democrats and investigate potential offenses."
If a civil arrest is made over the weekend, House members will have six hours to get to the Capitol, House Speaker Dustin Burrows said on Friday.