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Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan reportedly signed civilian arrest warrants on Tuesday for dozens of House Democrats absent from the state Capitol as part of an effort to thwart a government bill. controversial vote put forward by Republicans.
The 52 Democrats left Capitol Hill last month to prevent Tory lawmakers from having the required quorum to move the legislation forward.
The warrants “will be handed over to the House Sergeant-at-Arms tomorrow morning for service,” a spokesperson for Phelan said Tuesday, according to the Texas Tribune.
Hours after the state Supreme Court ruled Democrats could be civilly detained, Texas House voted 80 to 12 to issue the warrants, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The Supreme Court overturned a district court ruling on Monday blocking the warrants.
Texas lawmakers returned on Saturday for the second special session ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott but still could not achieve a quorum, KFOX 14 reported in El Paso.
TEXAS SENATE SEEKS TO END QUORUM BREAKDOWN AFTER DEMOCRATS LEAK HOME
State Representative Chris Turner, chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement Tuesday that it was “entirely within our rights as lawmakers to break the quorum to protect our voters. the Texas House are determined to fight with whatever we have against Republicans’ attacks on our freedom to vote, ”according to the newspaper.
Texas State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, dean of the Texas House of Representatives, is joined by Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Center left, and other Texas Democrats as they continue their protest against restrictive voting laws, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday August 6, 2021 (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
Republicans made a similar move in July during the first special session when dozens of Democrats left the state for Washington, DC to protest the bill. But law enforcement jurisdiction ends out of state and Phelan ended up issuing just one arrest warrant for a Democrat who briefly returned to Texas but then returned to DC according to him. KFOX.
Many Democrats have now returned to the state, but not their jobs.
The first special session was ordered by Abbott after Democrats called a walkout in the May regular session to block the bill.
The warrants would allow lawmakers to be brought to the House chamber and would not involve criminal charges or fines, the Tribune reported.
“I just wonder if [the Texas Department of Public Safety] or anyone can kick in my door to come put shackles on me and drag me there, ”Democratic State Representative Vikki Goodwin told the New. “I’m sure I can stay home, and stay off the House floor.
Democrats say the voting bill in question amounts to removing voters against minorities, while Republicans say provisions such as the requirement for ID to vote by mail and the a drive-thru ban and extended early voting hours make elections safer.
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A quorum requires two-thirds of the 150 in the chamber, which it only has four courts left on Monday, according to the News.
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