Texas Home fails to determine quorum as dozens of Democrats flee state to dam redrawn congressional map.
Democratic state legislators in Texas have blocked a vote on a United States congressional map that favours their Republican rivals by leaving the state, stopping the state Home of Representatives from establishing a quorum.
The vote couldn’t proceed on Monday afternoon, whilst Republican Governor Greg Abbott threatened to take away the fleeing lawmakers from workplace and prompt that they may face expenses. At the very least 100 legislators within the 150-member chamber wanted to be current for the vote to proceed.
It isn’t clear when the subsequent vote shall be held.
The brand new redrawn map, backed by President Donald Trump, would give Republicans extra protected seats to assist them maintain their majority within the US Home within the midterm elections subsequent yr.
In accordance with the Texas Tribune newspaper, the Texas Home permitted in an 85-to-six vote a largely symbolic measure to trace down and arrest greater than 50 legislators who left the state. The warrants are solely legitimate in Texas.
The controversy within the conservative-leaning state has dominated the political dialog within the nation, greater than a yr forward of the November 2026 midterm elections.
Gerrymandering – drawing districts round demographic and socioeconomic strains for partisan causes – will not be unusual within the US. However Texas seems to have taken the observe to its limits, all however eliminating 5 seats held by Democrats.
“We’re not right here to play political video games. We’re right here to demand an finish to this corrupt course of,” high Texas Home Democrat Gene Wu stated at a information convention in Illinois on Sunday.
