Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking legal action against dozens of Democrats who fled the state to block a plan to redraw electoral boundaries.
He has filed a lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to fire Democratic legislator, Gene Wu, whom he called the “ringleader” of a plot to “hijack” state government.
The filing focuses on Wu, but Abbott stated that the departure of more than 50 Democrats would “constitute abandonment of their office, justifying their removal”.
The redrawn congressional map would create five more Republican-leaning seats in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC, where Republicans hold a slim majority.
Gerrymandering – redrawing electoral boundaries to favor a political party – is a widespread practice by both Democrats and Republicans.
Generally, states undergo redistricting every 10 years, following the US census. Texas last redrew its congressional lines in 2021 and would typically not change those lines again until the next census in five years.
“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences,” Abbott stated.
At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to vote. The quorum became unreachable after the Democratic lawmakers left the state.
The lawsuit argues that: “Most people who repeatedly fail to show up for work get fired. Public servants must be held to the same standard.”
The filing seeks a rarely used writ of quo warranto to oust Wu from his office, which is a court action to determine if someone has the legal right to hold public office.
All nine justices on the Texas Supreme Court are Republican, and the chief justice was formerly Abbott’s general counsel.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pursuing a separate action to have the Democrats’ seats declared “vacant”.
Paxton stated that the legal process to remove the lawmakers would be long and drawn-out, requiring separate lawsuits in their individual counties.
Democrats have defended their decision to break quorum, with Texas Democrat Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos stating, “We have to use every tool at our disposal… to continue to protect our democracy.”
President Donald Trump has called on Texas Republicans to continue the redistricting process.
Trump remarked, “I got the highest vote [last year] in the history of Texas… and we are entitled to five more seats.”
Democrats nationwide are considering retaliation with similar tactics, though they face legal obstacles. Democrats in states like California, Wisconsin, and New York are pushing for redistricting to weaken Republican seats.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw6v6z5l8lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
