Texas Two-Steppin' Out, Con't

My prediction yesterday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state GOP would move to arrest Texas Democratic lawmakers for leaving town was one of the easiest calls I think I've ever made, as Republicans in the state legislature voted swiftly to issue arrest warrants.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said that Democratic lawmakers who have left the state can and "will be arrested" upon their return as he pushes ahead with changes in voting laws.

Abbott, a Republican, gave an interview to KVUE on Monday about the Democrats' decision to leave the state and whether the special session of the Texas legislature the governor called can go ahead.

The Democratic legislators flew out of Texas to Washington, D.C. on Monday in order to deny the legislature the two-thirds quorum needed in order to conduct business and to pass legislation.

KVUE asked Abbott if the Democratic walkout meant the voting bills - Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3 - could not be passed and if he could do anything as governor to compel the lawmakers to return to the state.

Abbott said there "still remains plenty of time to pass not just the bills you mentioned but there's a lot of other bills on there."

He highlighted some of the measures other than voting reforms. He then addressed the issue of the quorum.

"Answering your second question, yes, there is something the governor can do," Abbott said.

"First of all, I'll tell you what the House of Representatives can do. What the speaker can do is issue a call to have these members arrested.

"In addition to that, however, I can and I will continue to call a special session after special session after special session all the way up until election next year. And so if these people want to be hanging out wherever they're hanging out on this taxpayer-paid junket, they're going to have to be prepared to do it for well over a year," the governor said.

 

I fully expect this situation to get far worse. Don't be surprised if nutjobs decide to make citizens' arrests of these lawmakers, too. Abbott wants blood, he wants to see Democrats in chains, and thrown in jail. So do his voters, and my guess is they're going to get it.

It will be a bloody spectacle, and it won't be the last we see involving the arrest of Democratic party politicians, I think.