- cross-posted to:
- news@endlesstalk.org
- cross-posted to:
- news@endlesstalk.org
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”.
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From another article about this, oh the irony:
Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, who fled his own impeachment hearings and refused a court order to release his travel records after speaking at the rally in Washington that preceded the January 6 insurrection, has described wayward Democratic legislators as “cowards”.
Voters don’t care, why should they act differently?
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.
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.
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.
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”.
So which trooper is going to be brave enough to follow the governor’s orders and arrest him?
Has Rafael fled to Cancun yet?
Yes arrest them for not helping subvert democracy to keep an illegitimate fascist in power. “States rights”, party of “freedom”, my ass. Bunch of nazi clowns.
Seems like the governor told the troopers to arrest people like the governor.
“states rights” are just what people complain about when the federal government isn’t doing what they want.
My understanding - This term “states rights” is wrong. The People have rights. States have powers - which are limited by people’s rights.
Only four states, TX, IN, TN, and OR, have rules like this that require 2/3rds of members be present for legislation to be passed. The republicans in Oregon have done it so often that the voters passed (with 70% of the vote) a law that states that any legislator with 10 or more unexcused absences from votes cannot run for office again.
Democrats in Texas have done this to stop redistricting that could result in a fascist take over of the country. Republicans in OR have done this six times since 2019. They did it to block legislation on gun safety, reproductive health, education funding, cap and trade, COVID-19 restrictions, and once on redistricting.
Both sides are the same though amirite
Does seem like a good idea that has been fully abused
Wow there’s no way the American people will stand for this.
lol j/k of course they will.
Meh, texas ain’t the first state to go through these motions. Oregon did similar but with the roles reversed a year or two ago. And they weren’t the first either.
Is this an appropriate time to say that not even Abbott stands for it?
I like it when basement dwellers say Democrats don’t do anything while they’re literally having arrest warrants issued for them because they’re trying to prevent fascists from seizing more power.
I also like how these basement dwellers are completely unaware of any of the bills Democrats have passed that have massively helped average Americans because their goal is to whine, not educate themselves.
The world does not care about your fucking parties anymore, they suck and have failed resulting in this (you know having legislators hunted and arrested). The Democrats have failed, the Republicans have failed, your stupid two party system has failed and your nation is in full on collapse.
Yet here you are talking about how “basement dwellers” don’t have a good enough opinion of Democrats, as if they have not been a willing partner in this clown show. As if there is any chance that ether (of the current two) parties will be able or willing to return to some sort of normal.
Please from the rest of the world, Shut up or put up. Fix your shit or collapse already.
Case in point ☝️
The world does not care about your fucking parties anymore
I don’t care about the fantasy world you’d like to live in. I care about reality. You may choose to ignore that reality in favor of whining like a child, but the adults have to address that reality and work within it.
The Democrats have failed
In my lifetime alone Democrats have passed significant legislation to help average Americans. Their failures do not erase their accomplishments. You are unaware of those accomplishments because your goal is to whine, not educate yourself. Our situation is ALWAYS more stable under Democratic leadership. ALWAYS.
As if there is any chance that ether (of the current two) parties will be able or willing to return to some sort of normal.
Was any of this chaos happening before January? All you do is whine. I look at the reality of the situation. The reality being that for the foreseeable future we will continue existing in a two party system. In that system we have one party that offers general stability, does not assault our rights, does not violate our Constitution, does not ignore due process, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc. So yes, I will absolutely chastise the basement dwellers such as yourself that attempt to dissuade people from participating in the reality of their two party system. People like you helped prevent a lot of people from showing up last November and now we have a situation incredibly more chaotic than we had before. We need to help people understand that voting for the CLEARLY better option is the best thing they can do while trapped in a two party system. Not staying home. Not voting for a 3rd party candidate with absolutely no chance of winning. The system can be changed, but not by allowing a fascist party to win because you’re upset with a two party system.
Please from the rest of the world, Shut up or put up. Fix your shit or collapse already.
Please, from an American, either help to promote the best possible outcome within the reality of our two party system or shut the fuck up.
Between Dems and Republicans, yeah Dems are much better for the people. But you make it sound like they couldn’t do so much better if they would stop sucking off the billionaires. They sell their souls for money just like the Republicans, but they at least have the decency to help the people when billionaires hoards aren’t involved. Democrats were way to complacent with what Republicans have been doing for years And doing very little to fight or stop them.
I don’t care about the fantasy world you’d like to live in. I care about reality. You may choose to ignore that reality in favor of whining like a child, but the adults have to address that reality and work within it.
You (like many americans) are the one clearly living in a fantasy world. I am very active in my community and politics, yet like many people know that your nation is done as any form of democracy.
… I will absolutely chastise the basement dwellers such as yourself that attempt to dissuade people from participating in the reality of their two party system.
Your team based bullshit has failed, pull your head out of your ass or live under a boot is what I am asking. I am asking (as much of the world is now) americans to step up (its not my country after all) but instead we get this tribalism.
Stop projecting an argument I am not making and do something be it vote, riot, protest, eat your local monopoly man, or run for local office.
You (like many americans) are the one clearly living in a fantasy world.
You’re a foreigner trying to tell Americans to not participate in their two party system, which would only cause additional chaos, and you’re accusing me of living in a fantasy world?
your nation is done as any form of democracy.
Yet again you show your ignorance when it comes to American politics. Yeah, our federal government is fucked right now. That doesn’t mean there won’t be federal elections going forward. And I still vote in local/state elections. That’s democracy. Our federal democracy is in jeopardy but you’re dramatizing the situation by saying American democracy is dead. Again, instead of being productive, you are simply attempting to instill fear by spreading misinformation, which only serves to make more people disenfranchised, which only helps fascists assume more control.
You seem to have no concept that in our country there are 50 states with their own governments and elections.
Your team based bullshit has failed
There will always be teams, dumbass, because there are multiple ideologies.
I am asking (as much of the world is now) americans to step up
Are you asking for a violent revolution? If so, get your ass up and get over here and put your life on the line. It’s real easy asking others to risk their lives while you sit on your fat ass. Because short of a revolution, the realistic course of action is going with the better of two options to ensure we don’t slide into fascism, then reforming that option by primarying the bad actors that aren’t willing to provide voters with what they want. If that was too complicated for you to understand, allow me to simplify. In a realistic, non-violent scenario, we need to elect Dems back into power to prevent a further slide into fascism, then we need to change the Democrat party by voting out the reps that aren’t listening to our demands. If you knew anything about American politics, which you don’t, you’d know that our political parties have been reformed via this method multiple times in our history. Conservative voters literally just did it to the Republican party over the last decade or two.
Stop projecting an argument I am not making and do something be it vote
WE’RE TRYING. Part of the problem is fools like you going online and shitting all over BOTH parties in a locked in two party system and saying American democracy is dead. You think that helps get people to the fucking polls? When some asshole from another country is telling them their situation is hopeless. You think that makes people motivated to fucking vote?
You’re a foreigner trying to tell Americans to not participate in their two party system…
Never said that, I am saying your nation is past the point of the dems saving you.
Our federal democracy is in jeopardy but you’re dramatizing the situation by saying American democracy is dead.
You have brownshirts kidnapping people in the streets, political based imprisonments, actual camps, tariffs on every other nation, and threats about annexing my nation and others like Greenland. You had a very limited democracy with a two party system (its not a real choice, if its evil vs the status quo) before, now? Come on, the us is now a global pariah state.
Are you asking for a violent revolution? If so, get your ass up and get over here and put your life on the line. It’s real easy asking others to risk their lives while you sit on your fat ass.
Sorry fix your shit, I will be up here preparing to fight the meal team 6s and gravy seals that are talking about invading my nation. Your great leader will likely try to make war at some point in the next few years and all we can hope is for the us armed forces to once again fail at occupation.
Part of the problem is fools like you going online and shitting all over BOTH parties…
Fuck your parties, fuck your failed state and expectation that the rest of the world will play along with it. Fuck your idea that anyone that does not sign up with your team is some basement dwelling troll. I never said anything about not engaging, nothing about things being hopeless, just that the two party system is over and the world hopes you can get your shit together.
I am saying your nation is past the point of the dems saving you.
So what’s your REALISTIC suggestion? Lots of crying from you, not a lot of suggestions.
Come on, the us is now a global pariah state.
Hey bud, WHAT’S YOUR SUGGESTION?
Sorry fix your shit
SUGGESTION?
Fuck your parties
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!!!
I nailed you in your first comment. You are a whiny. little. bitch.
I provided a realistic suggestion for how to fix this mess without violent revolution, because that is the absolute last resort (and it isn’t going to happen). And all you’ve managed to do in response is whine like a little bitch.
You are not productive. You are not helpful. You have NO solutions. You are a waste of time and effort and only serve to add to the chaos.
If redistricting in a way that benefits your party is “fascist” then I have news for you. The Democrats do it WAAAAY more. For example, this is Illinois. Look at how it’s carved out to benefit Democrats. Or is it (D)ifferent when Democrats to it?
I particularly like when trolls doi’t cite their sources.
Arresting political dissidents lol
Looks like the us is at that point. But I can’t wait for the bunch of videos about how “this time trump is cooked/done/finished/over” or some other nonsense about how america is not actually at the place it clearly is.
Y’all are one Reichstag fire away from invading Poland
The irony of a Republican lawmaker trying to make this point is unbelievable…
Hopefully, Texas police realize they’re being given an unlawful order and arrest the dickweed who issued it.
LOL. Texas police don’t have brains.
More importantly, they don’t have jurisdiction.
Gregg Abbott is un-American because he refuses to stand for the national anthem. And I also hear he’s a little piss baby.
Didn’t this exact same thing happen some years ago? Dems went on the lam and were found in a hotel across the state line a few days later.
Edit: found it, 2021. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/special-session/texas-democrats-leave-state-redistricting-quorum/269-6919f7c5-ec57-49a6-bc3a-ad7cf84aa683
Also in 2003. In fact, that time was due to the GOP doing the same redistricting shit they’re doing now!
Definitely shouldn’t look up OR and the six times Republicans have done this in the last few years.
This dude wants to talk about duty to Texans? Wow man
How did they vote on this if they don’t have a quorum?
Rule 8, Section 5.
All absentees for whom no sufficient excuse is made may, by order of a majority of those present, be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found, by the sergeant-at-arms or an officer appointed by the sergeant-at-arms for that purpose, and their attendance shall be secured and retained.
And
Until a quorum appears, should the roll call fail to show one present, no business shall be transacted, except to compel the attendance of absent members or to adjourn. It shall not be in order to recess under a call of the house.
It does not require a quorum, it is a measure voted on by those present. This is the same thing in lots of State legislatures including the US House. There’s usually a rule that allows whoever is present to be able to bring a motion to those present to force those who are not present to the floor. It’s usually one of a handful of motions that don’t require quorum.
That language suggests that the only thing they can do is either order the “arrests” or adjourn, making the headline much less impressive…
Naturally setting precedent for when Republicans do the same?
They don’t plan on having fair elections anymore, they will never get the chance. If they can rig/win the midterm it’s basically game over for the US.
Cheeto man did say that we wouldn’t need to worry about elections again. Many didn’t understand and they cheered. Many understood, and they cheered too.
