AUSTIN, Texas — Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking to authorize California law enforcement to apprehend Texas House Democrats who have fled the state. The request comes as part of a lawsuit aimed at enforcing civil arrest warrants that have been issued by the Texas House against six Democratic lawmakers, a move that marks a significant escalation in a heated standoff between Texas Republicans and Democrats.
This filing is the second time Paxton has pursued the enforcement of Texas civil arrest warrants beyond state lines within a week. Earlier, he lodged a similar lawsuit in Illinois, targeting 33 House Democrats who are reportedly in the Chicago area in an effort to block a congressional redistricting plan that they oppose.
“Texans are frustrated with lawmakers who evade their responsibilities and seek refuge in states like California, exploiting political systems to shield themselves,” Paxton stated on Saturday in connection to the new suit.
The Texas House has been effectively paralyzed since Monday when over 50 Democratic lawmakers left the state in protest against a proposed congressional map aimed at reshaping five districts to favor Republican candidates. Paxton’s lawsuit emphasizes that California is obligated to acknowledge and uphold the legal decisions made in Texas under the Constitution’s “full faith and credit clause.”
The attorney general filed his complaint in Tehama County, located more than 100 miles from Sacramento, a region that supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. This choice may reflect a strategy to file the lawsuit in a jurisdiction that might be more amenable to his argument, similar to his filing in Illinois, which also took place in a Trump-supporting county.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, indicated that more legal actions similar to the one filed in Illinois are anticipated as Texas Republicans seek to compel their Democratic counterparts to return to the legislature. “All members will eventually have to come back,” Burrows stated. “The matters before the House are too crucial to delay due to external political forces.”
Alongside civil arrest warrants and daily fines facing Democrats, both Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott have called on the Texas Supreme Court to expel certain Democratic members for failing to fulfill quorum requirements.
Rep. Ann Johnson, a Democrat from Houston who is one of the named individuals in Paxton’s latest lawsuit, pushed back on the notion that they are running away. “We are here to give hope to others and to stand firm in this moment,” she said during a press conference in California.
The ongoing redistricting debate has garnered national attention and could potentially evolve into a broader conflict between the states. Texas House Democrats remain in California as state lawmakers there are organizing a special election to reform their own congressional maps in response to Texas’ redistricting.
Within Texas, widespread disapproval of the redistricting proposals has been noted, with legislative hearings regularly drawing crowds opposed to the plans and the mid-decade redistricting agenda. Demonstrations occurred in Dallas on Saturday, where around 100 protesters gathered to voice their dissent against the Republican-led redistricting initiative and to express solidarity with the state lawmakers who departed.
Protesters held placards with messages like “Don’t tread on Texas Voters” and “No new maps,” while cars passing through Dealey Plaza honked in support. Organizers, such as Indivisible Dallas, emphasized voter registration efforts and shared information on the implications of redistricting and gerrymandering throughout the event.
Mindy Miller, a supporter of the Texas Democrats attending the protest, labeled the redistricting struggle as “fundamental” to democratic principles. “Our voice is being diluted,” she remarked, highlighting her concerns about the impact of gerrymandering on her vote.
Jamie Bruner, who attended the rally with her neighbor, expressed her conviction that redistricting efforts are tantamount to “cheating” and characterized the rapid adjustments to electoral maps as alarming. “I’m hoping enough people can stand up and let their voices be heard, illustrating that we will fight even against unfair practices,” she asserted.
This complex legal and political battle continues to unfold as attention turns to the forthcoming legislative sessions and the implications of the redistricting decisions both in Texas and beyond.
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