Texas Democrats who fled to block voting law sue Governor Abbott

Nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers have sued Gov. Greg Abbott and other state GOP leaders – claiming efforts to get them back to Austin for a special session violated their rights.

The 22 members of the Texas House, who had left town to avoid a vote on a controversial election reform bill, say Saturday’s special session violated their constitutional rights to free speech.

Abbott has called for the arrest of more than 50 Democrats who traveled to Washington, DC, to block passage of a bill they say would restrict access to polling stations, according to the Texas Tribune .

Without the legislators present, the House did not have a quorum and could not approve any measure.

The lawsuit alleged “retaliatory attacks, threats and attempted coercion related to the exercise of their First Amendment rights” as well as racial discrimination against some of the lawmakers, but no specific evidence was presented. , according to the media.

The plaintiffs were “deprived of their liberty for long periods of time, suffered a great deal of anxiety and distress as a result of separation from their families, as well as a great deal of discomfort and embarrassment,” the trial.

The attorney for the Democratic litigants is a former lawmaker practicing law under a probationary conditional license, according to the article.

At least two lawmakers named as plaintiffs have made public statements claiming that they were wrongly included in the lawsuit, according to the report.

“I did not request, review or authorize the filing,” said representative Shawn Thierry.

The voting bill lawmakers are trying to block would ban drive-thru voting, add new identification requirements for mail-in ballots, and criminalize local officials sending vote requests to people. voters who did not ask for them.