AWOL Texas Democrats divided after four members return home, infuriating the rest



The Texas Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., are showing signs of division as some of their number returned to Austin, infuriating their colleagues.

At least four Democrats who returned to the statehouse on Monday were accused of undermining the rest of the conference by nearly granting the Republican majority a quorum to conduct business. If just five more lawmakers were present at the statehouse, Republicans would have been able to advance a controversial election security bill that Democrats sought to block by leaving the state.

"You all threw us under the bus today!" Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D) declared on social media. "Why?"

⁦@jamestalarico⁩ ⁦@RepMaryGonzalez⁩ ⁦@moodyforelpaso⁩ you all threw us under the bus today! Why? https://t.co/yD6ODZKFcP

— Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (@Ramos4Texas) 1628546901.0

The four Democrats who returned to Texas are Reps. Joe Moody, James Talarico, Mary González, and Art Fierro. Moody is one of the Democratic leaders and the former speaker pro tem, a title that House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) had stripped from him last month as a disciplinary measure for breaking quorum.

In a follow-up tweet, Ramos called out three of those Democrats, accusing them of selling out the rest of the conference.

"Today @jamestalarico was one of those Texas Dems who showed up at the Capitol to help Republicans pass anti-voter bills," Ramos said. "@jamestalarico was in DC 2 days ago with Dems and showed up in Austin with Republicans & @moodyforelpaso @RepMaryGonzalez to sell us out."

@briantylercohen Today @jamestalarico was one of those Texas Dems who showed up at the Capitol to help Republicans… https://t.co/iQXxTuQkys

— Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (@Ramos4Texas) 1628547533.0

On Monday, Talarico announced he had returned to Texas to "clean up [Gov.] Greg Abbott's latest messes" and said he was confident the Democrats' decision to go AWOL "shined a national spotlight on the TX voter suppression bill and pushed Congress closer to passing a federal voting rights act to override it."

I’m home!Our quorum break shined a national spotlight on the TX voter suppression bill and pushed Congress closer… https://t.co/gfGVyn7gEW

— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) 1628542787.0

Hours before lawmakers met at the statehouse, a district judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's administration from following through on a promise to arrest any Democrats who returned to the state and drag them to the Capitol to make quorum so the legislature could open for business.

Some of the irate Democrats remaining in Washington, D.C., made note of this, criticizing the members of their "team" who went to the statehouse voluntarily even after a judge said they couldn't be forced to show up for work and make quorum.

"I've said this before… it's a Team Sport… now we see who plays what positions on the Team… The fact that some of us secured a Temporary Restraining Order to protect ALL of us, yet some are trying to please the Governor and His OPPRESSIVE Agenda?! JUST WOW! #txlege," Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) tweeted.

I’ve said this before… it’s a Team Sport… now we see who plays what positions on the Team… The fact that some of us… https://t.co/8BMUZY5Fe6

— Rep. Jasmine Crockett (@jasminefor100) 1628545785.0

"We have a vote this week in the US Senate on voting rights. They could at least wait until the vote. There's nothing so pressing ar [sic] this moment to show up. Not to mention the restraining order allows you to be working in your district instead of on the floor against your district," Crockett said.

@AHomayouniVA We have a vote this week in the US Senate on voting rights. They could at least wait until the vote.… https://t.co/Ptom0f2mIA

— Rep. Jasmine Crockett (@jasminefor100) 1628548332.0

Texas Gov. Abbott calls for another special session of legislature, pressuring AWOL Democrats



Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced Thursday that he will convene a second special session of the state legislature on Saturday, following through on a threat to continuously call the legislature into session until the rogue Democratic lawmakers who fled the state return home and get to work.

"The Texas Legislature achieved a great deal during the 87th Legislative Session, and they have a responsibility to finish the work that was started," Abbott said in a statement. "I will continue to call special session after special session to reform our broken bail system, uphold election integrity, and pass other important items that Texans demand and deserve. Passing these Special Session agenda items will chart a course towards a stronger and brighter future for the Lone Star State."

Last month, after Abbott called for a special session to pass a Republican-supported election security bill, more than 50 state House Democrats fled to Washington, D.C., to block the bill by denying the House a quorum. They have mostly remained in the nation's capital, lobbying for a federal voting bill that would prevent the GOP-supported reforms, though two Democrats have reportedly gone on vacation to Portugal while the rest of the conference remains in D.C.

The current special session is scheduled to end Friday. According to the Houston Chronicle, some of the Texas Democrats had planned on returning home once the special session ended, but by calling for another special session, Abbott has put pressure on these Democrats. If they return while the legislature is in session, they will be unable to stop the Republican majority from passing their election security bill, as well as 16 other priorities Abbott outlined in his announcement.

Republican lawmakers are calling on their Democratic colleagues to come home.

"We call on the Texas Democrats to put an end to their domestic and global jet-setting, return to Texas and do the job they were elected to do," state House Republican Caucus Chairman Rep. Jim Murphy said.

The Democrats have so far shown no signs that they will return. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) told the Chronicle that "the determination to fight is there," but would not say what the Democrats plan on doing next.

In addition to the election security bill, Abbott wants the legislature to take up a ban on K-12 school mask and vaccine mandates, additional funding for border security efforts, a bill prohibiting men from competing on women's sports teams, restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs, and a bill banning critical race theory from being taught in schools.

Texas Dems flee to D.C. on private jets to stop Republicans from passing election security bill



Texas Democrats are reportedly planning to flee the state in an effort to block the legislature from passing an election security bill supported by the Republican majorities and Gov. Greg Abbott (R).This would be the second time the Democrats have used a a walkout strategy to delay the bill's passage.

According to NBC News, at least 58 Democratic members of the state House of Representatives will leave Austin on Monday to block House Bill 3 from passing. By leaving, they will deny the legislature the required quorum of two-thirds of lawmakers present to conduct state business, effectively shutting the chamber down until they return to the state or the session ends.

Most of the Democrats will fly on two private jets chartered to take them to Washington D.C., where they will reportedly lobby federal lawmakers for national voting legislation. Other lawmakers will make their own way to the nation's capital.

The Republican-backed bill was blocked once before in May when Democrats staged a walkout from the state House chamber. Without a quorum present, Republicans were forced to end the legislative session without passing the bill. But Abbott, who considers the bill a priority, called a for special session of the legislature to take it up again in June.

Democrats say House Bill 3 and its companion Senate Bill 1, which implement new voter identification requirements for people voting by mail and ban election officials from sending unsolicited mail ballot applications to voters, would make it harder for minorities to vote. The bills would also end pandemic innovations like drive-through voting and extended hours during early voting, reforms Republicans say are needed to mitigate the risk of voter fraud.

Republican lawmakers worked over the weekend to advance the bills, holding overnight hearings and passing the bills out of their respective House and Senate committees to bring them to the floor this week.

To keep the legislature from considering the House bill, Democrats would have to remain out of state until the end of the special session, which could last up to 30 days. The Texas Constitution empowers the Republican majority to compel the return of absent lawmakers to the state Capitol, and Democrats expect GOP lawmakers to send the state Department of Public Safety to force them to return.

Democrats have apparently been planning their flight for weeks. "Initially, they considered decamping to West Virginia and Arizona, because Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have opposed abolishing the filibuster to pass the For the People Act, federal voting legislation the state Democrats support," NBC News reports. "But they feared the states' Republican governors would aid in their arrest and return them to Texas."