About 50 Texas Democrats who fled the state to delay a redistricting vote won’t get paid until they show up at the capital, the Republican speaker of the state’s House of Representatives said Friday.
House Speaker Dustin Burrow’s threat came after the Texas House, for the third time this week, failed to establish the quorum necessary to continue a special legislative redistricting session – thanks to the 55 Democrats who are still AWOL.
“Comptroller Kelly Hancock and I have enacted a new policy stating that any member absent for the purpose of breaking quorum will no longer have their paycheck or per diem deposited electronically,” Burrows announced on the floor of the chamber.
“While the Constitution forbids us from withholding pay, it does not dictate how we issue the pay,” he said. “Those checks must now be picked up in person on Capitol grounds, effective immediately.”
Burrows further ordered 30% cuts to the office budgets of absent Democrats and required them to show up in person to receive reimbursements or send out newsletters.
The missing Democrats, some of whom have popped up in New York, Illinois and California, also face a $500-per-day fine for every unexcused absence from the session.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed two lawsuits Friday aimed at cutting off funding that the absentee Democrats may be receiving and removing some of the most outspoken missing members from the House.
Paxton asked the Supreme Court of Texas to declare that 13 House seats – belonging to members who “made incriminating public statements regarding their refusal to return” – vacated over the “unlawful absences.”
“The rogue Democrat legislators who fled the state have abandoned their duties, leaving their seats vacant,” Paxton said in a statement. “These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold.
“Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on.”
Paxton’s second lawsuit targets Powered by People, a lefty political action committee founded by former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) that has reportedly covered airfare, lodging and other logistical expenses the absent state reps have incurred.
The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Tarrant County, seeks to block O’Rouke’s group from continuing to raise or distribute funds “for the purpose of funding the runaway Democrat House members.?
“Democrat runaways are likely accepting Beto Bribes to underwrite their jet-setting sideshow in far-flung places and misleadingly raising political funds to pay for personal expenses,” Paxton said. “This out-of-state, cowardly cabal is abandoning their constitutional duties.
“I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials. I’ll see you in court, Beto.”
O’Rouke responded to the litigation on X by announcing he’s also suing.
“We just sued Ken Paxton in state court. Taking the fight directly to him,” the former congressman and Democratic presidential primary candidate wrote.
The House’s 30-day special legislative session ends Aug. 19. The House was five members short of a quorum Friday.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to relentlessly pursue the redistricting push, which could add five GOP seats to the US House of Representatives — even if the missing Democrats hold out for the remainder of the special sessions.
“I will be calling special session after special session, and we are going to get these maps passed,” Abbott said in an interview with Fox News.
The governor has already issued arrest warrants for the missing Democrats and has ordered state law enforcement to track them down and force them back to the capital.
The FBI is reportedly assisting in the effort to find the Democrats that fled out-of-state, according to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
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