The Democrats facing arrest have fled to block a vote that could sway the balance of power in Washington.

Texas Republicans have voted to track down and arrest dozens of Democratic legislators who have fled the state to block passage of a partisan redistricting plan.

The vote passed by 85 to 6, following Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s threat of bribery charges against the absent Democrats.

After the vote, the governor ordered state troopers “to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans”.

  • Taco2112@lemmy.world
    112·
    6 months ago

    Monday’s vote was mostly symbolic, according to the Texas Tribune, as the warrants only apply within state lines.

    The move empowers the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms and state troopers to arrest the absent lawmakers and deliver them to the state capitol building in Austin.

    They would not face any civil or criminal charges as a result of the warrant, the newspaper reports.

    So basically it’s toothless posturing and only real consequences is that they get sent to the state capitol to go back to work.

    • GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world
      41·
      6 months ago

      Only immediate consequences. The gerrymandering they want to pass has the potential to screw the state and country depending on how the gerrymandering works and is perceived to work. I’m afraid this may make our voting numbers go down even more.

      No telling what can happen if Republicans achieve their goal of solidifying a bigger majority in the US House. We’ve already seen that Texans are willing to keep Cruz in the senate, rather than spend 30 minutes voting.

    • lectricleopard@lemmy.world
      18·
      6 months ago

      Well, that serves their goal at the moment. That may change. After having so easily made this posturing move, next time, they will have this language available to them, with more severe and less legal consequences.

      In my head, I keep going back to that fascist guy that Medhi Hasan got sat down with. These fuckers would pick up the ball and run with it in a soccer game, chuck the ball in the goal, keep their own score and time, then jog off the field pumping up the 10% of the crowd that’s on their side.

      It’d be funny if they were just deluded, but they are setting it up so they can deport or arrest anyone that doesn’t cheer.