A Texas House Committee moved forward Friday with enforcing financial penalties against Democrat lawmakers who fled the state last summer to break quorum and block congressional redistricting—though the final amount came in lower than initially expected.
The House Administration Committee voted 6-5 along party lines to approve $118,889.81 in costs tied to efforts to compel absent members back to the Capitol, along with an additional $303,000 in daily fines. The total amounts to roughly $8,354 per lawmaker, about $1,000 less than earlier estimates after penalties for two Sundays were removed.
The penalties stem from Democrats’ coordinated walkout during the Legislature’s special sessions last year, which temporarily halted proceedings by denying the chamber a quorum. Gov. Greg Abbott later directed lawmakers to pursue punishments for members who “willfully absent themselves” during a session as part of his special session agenda.
Under rules in place at the time, absent members faced a $500-per-day fine and were required to reimburse a share of enforcement costs, including expenses incurred by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which was tasked with locating and returning lawmakers.
During Friday’s meeting—which included roughly six hours in a closed-door executive session—attorneys representing Democrat members and officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety were present.
Ahead of the vote, State Rep. Gene Wu, the head of the Democrat Caucus, told reporters he planned to pay the fines personally, though he suggested other Democrats may refuse in protest. Democrat State Rep. Jolanda Jones indicated Democrats are preparing to challenge the penalties in court.
After the committee reconvened in public, Democrat State Rep. Sheryl Cole unsuccessfully attempted to reduce or eliminate the fines before the committee advanced the full amount.
The enforcement effort comes alongside broader attempts by House Republicans to deter future quorum breaks. In one of its final actions before adjourning sine die, the chamber adopted House Resolution 128 by State Rep. Cody Vasut, increasing penalties for members who deliberately absent themselves.
The revised rules triple the daily fine and impose escalating consequences for extended absences, including loss of committee leadership positions and seniority. Members absent for multiple days during a call of the House can also face additional constitutional penalties, including expulsion.
However, House rules do not carry over between legislative sessions, meaning similar provisions would need to be adopted again in the future to remain in effect.
Notably, House rules also prohibit lawmakers from using campaign funds to pay the fines, requiring any penalties to be paid out of personal funds.
