Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the arrest of Texas House Democrats who fled the state to block a Republican redistricting plan, calling their absence a “dereliction of duty.”
On Monday afternoon, the Texas House officially failed to reach the 100-member quorum required to conduct business, with only 90 members present. Members present quickly approved a “call of the House,” a procedural maneuver that authorizes the speaker to compel absent lawmakers to return, by civil arrest if necessary.
“Speaker Dustin Burrows just issued a call of the Texas House and issued warrants to compel members to return to the chamber,” Abbott said. “To ensure compliance, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans.”
The call of the House allows the chamber to lock doors, restrict exits, and dispatch law enforcement to retrieve absent members—an escalation used when lawmakers intentionally break quorum. The House is expected to reconvene at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5.
While arrests of members out of state are unlikely, Capitol sources indicate that several quorum-busting Democrats may be hiding in Texas.
In a floor speech Monday, Speaker Burrows condemned the quorum break, accusing Democrats of abandoning their posts under pressure from out-of-state activists.
“Leaving the state does not stop this House from doing its work—it only delays it,” said Burrows.
“I will do everything in my power to establish a quorum and move this body forward by any and all means available.”
Attorney General Ken Paxton also weighed in, releasing a statement calling the Democrats’ walkout a “cowardly desertion.” He warned that they must be “swiftly arrested, punished, and face the full force of the law.”
The Democrats’ flight comes amid a contentious special session called by Abbott to pass a congressional redistricting plan that would add five Republican-leaning seats ahead of the 2026 elections.
Abbott has also directed the Texas Rangers to investigate possible bribery violations against delinquent members and has threatened to pursue the removal from office of members who continue to defy quorum.
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