Dozens of Democratic lawmakers have left Texas to block Republican-led redistricting efforts.
Reports from Austin indicate that at least 57 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives have absented themselves from the chamber, denying the quorum necessary for legislative business. This action comes in response to proposed congressional district maps favored by former President Donald Trump and Texas Republicans.
According to the Texas House rules, lawmakers who are “absent without leave to impede the action of the House” face a daily fine of $500. The significance of this becomes clear when we consider the potential financial impact on the absent legislators.
If the current special session continues until its scheduled end on August 19th, the total fines could reach approximately $382,500. This figure is based on the minimum number of lawmakers needed to break quorum and the duration of their absence.
In 2021, Texas Democrats employed a similar tactic to oppose voting legislation. In response, the Texas House implemented these new financial penalties in 2023.
Governor Greg Abbott has raised the possibility of additional special sessions. If Democrats maintain their absence until the December 8th candidate filing deadline, the fines could potentially exceed $3.2 million.
Democratic Representative John Bucy, speaking from Illinois, stated, “We’ll deal with the consequences later. That’s not the important thing right now. It’s stopping Donald Trump from stealing the congressional map and winning the midterm elections through cheating.” Meanwhile, Governor Abbott has called for an investigation into possible bribery charges related to the funding of the Democrats’ absence.
This raises important questions about the enforceability of these fines and the limits of legislative rules. Campaign finance lawyer Andrew Cates has expressed skepticism about the collection process, noting, “This is a house rule. This is not a law. … How the hell are they going to collect it? How are they going to enforce it?”
