DALLAS—Texas Democrats defied Gov. Greg Abbott’s call to return to the state on Aug. 4, blocking efforts by Republicans to redraw congressional district lines and setting up a showdown between the two sides.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that a quorum had not been met after roll call. House members then approved a motion for the speaker to sign warrants “for the civil arrest” of the members who said they would not be there.
Democrats had been threatening to leave the state for weeks over the redistricting issue. Beyond a civil arrest warrant, Abbott warned that they could now face removal from office and could face felony charges for raising money to help pay for fines they may face….
What to Know About Texas’s Redistricting Showdown
