Texas Democrats are leaving the state in an attempt to prevent the state House from holding a vote Monday on new congressional maps that Republicans hope will net them several additional U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
The dramatic move Sunday could expose Democrats to fines and other penalties — with the state’s attorney general having previously threatened to arrest them if they took such an action. Refusing to attend legislative session is a civil violation, however, so Democrats legally could not be jailed and it’s unclear who has the power to carry out the warrants.
Democrats have cast the decision to leave the state as a last-ditch effort to stop Republicans who hold full control of the Texas government from pushing through a rare mid-decade redrawing of the congressional map at the direction of President Donald Trump.
Refusing to attend legislative session is a civil violation, however, so Democrats legally could not be jailed and it’s unclear who has the power to carry out the warrants.
Texas: Hold my beer.
That’s why they’re leaving the state. It’s conceivable that Texas Rangers could arrest lawmakers on these warrants for the purpose of returning them directly to the legislature. It’s much less conceivable that Texas can get extradition from another state.
Hopefully
Trump: Hold my
beerdemocracyI’m just not putting anything past him right now. He wants an official constitutional crisis sooo bad. The war of passive aggression is only fun when people are bowing down to him.
I’m also just really worried since MAGA base hasn’t let go of Epstein, he would use something like this as a distraction. Especially with all those new ICE hires who I’m sure would jump at the chance to receive a medal for violating the constitution on behalf of POTUS. But that is also just me being anxious and trying to prepare for worst case scenario.
I’m glad they’re at least trying to resist bc this is insane, and he’s honestly left them with no other option. Even if they do just vote for it anyway, I’m not sure what else Dems really can do at this point? At least they’re doing something.
Hoping this is receiving local attention, but if TX news is looking anything like local news in my state rn I would guess that’s a no.
Last time Texas sent troopers to force their will on the North, it didn’t go so well.
Watch Republicans just vote for it and it goes into effect. Not like Republicans care about rules or laws.
If there’s anything nice I can say about the Texas Legislature, it’s that they like their rules and procedures. If they were to violate the rules in that way, we’d be entering an even darker moment in Texas politics
Other slightly less worrisome and actually more likely worst case scenario.
Well, it’s not like anyone else is trying to stop them or anything. The ones who are supposed to are either sitting at home, or have left the state.
So fucking true. They really have lost all accountability and are just begging people to try to stop them from bulldozing through what is left of America.
Are they going to hold Ted Cruz to the same standards they come up with?
No bc laws only apply to people who don’t bow to the king. Trump insulted Ted Cruz’s wife in front of the nation, and he still puckers up to kiss that ring at every chance he gets.
No Kings for USA!
I can’t stand redistricting shenanigans like this. All maps for all states should be done by computer. Any politician who has a problem with the computer’s results can explain why before a bipartisan committee. The committee can decide whether to implement any changes.
That’s it. No theatrics, no bullshit.
All maps for all states should be done by computer
I would be fine with that under any administration before this one. Any government related technology now comes with bullshit and theatrics baked in by executive order.
Grok will draw the district lines
Perfect! My administration will select the programmers…
Lol choose whoever you want. Wait till they see my $10mil check
Yeah but how do you program the computer? I’m cool with just using city and county lines.
I’m a fan of the shortest splitline algorithm.
I don’t think districts are good. I think allocation based on proportion is better if we are going to change laws. If there is 10 seats 55.1%/44.9% is the vote for platforms in the state then we should hold a primary for 4 seats on x platform and 6 primary election for other platforms. Then land weirdness won’t matter per state. Every vote counts.
I don’t think computers should be doing distracting. Minority communities deserve representation and an algorithm could easily divide those communities into separate districts taking away their ability to collectively organize and advocate for themselves. A lot of the horrible gerrymandering shaped districts are made to connect minority communities so they can have a say.
If were not gonna do proportional representation then I think Michigan has a good system where they have a non partisan independent distracting board that is randomly selected from citizens who apply.
Is this the first time I’m seeing Democrats with cajones? Because the roll over and die shit is getting old.
this is not the first time Texas Dems have left the state to try to push back against the GOP stranglehold.
btw, all the comments i read around here saying Texans deserve [whatever]? we’re fighting a rigged game in this state. Abbot, Paxton etc do not represent us all.
the grand tradition of Texas’s Bush league politics
It’s 2026, Democrats have received 60% of the Nationwide votes in a landslide victory, but regardless, republicans have won 250+ of the 435 seats.
This is what you get when libs love playing by the rules and have non-partisan/bi-partisan redistricting committees in blue states, while simultaneously you have the far-right doing this shit.
