For the first time in two weeks, the Texas House was able to gavel in with a quorum on Monday after enough Democrats returned from their out-of-state quorum break.
The chamber had been unable to move forward with legislation since Democrats fled to Illinois and other states in protest of congressional redistricting plans.
Their departure effectively scuttled the first special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, who responded by convening a second special session on Friday with essentially the same agenda. Lawmakers are now meeting under that call, which includes congressional redistricting, property tax relief, and recovery efforts related to the July 4 flooding.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that Democrats who had participated in the walkout would remain under close watch. According to Burrows, they will be escorted by Department of Public Safety officers to ensure their attendance. The House is slated to return on Wednesday at 10 a.m., with committees slated to meet this week.
The House’s rules already impose a $500 daily penalty on those breaking quorum, a provision that some Republicans want to see enforced to its fullest extent.
While Monday’s floor proceedings were brief, the return of a quorum has reignited debate about how to handle the Democrats who fled.
Some Republican lawmakers have suggested stripping them of vice chairmanships and the added office budgets those positions provide, arguing that members who abandoned their duties should not continue to hold leadership posts.
Others are calling on Gov. Abbott to expand the agenda of the special session to include redistricting for the state legislature, in addition to the congressional map that sparked the walkout.
The showdown comes after weeks of political and legal maneuvering. During the standoff, civil arrest warrants were issued for absent members, and DPS officers were dispatched to their homes in an effort to compel attendance. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have also sought to vacate some members’ seats through court action.
