Last week, state House Democrats left Texas for states including Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts in order to block a vote on a GOP-led redistricting map.
Texas Republicans filed a lawsuit on Thursday asking a court in Illinois to enforce arrest warrants for Democrats who left Texas earlier this week in a bid to block the GOP from advancing a redistricting map.
The filing, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, asks the Illinois Eighth Judicial Circuit Court to enforce arrest warrants for the Democrats that were issued in Texas but don’t apply in other states.
“The Texas Representatives named herein hope the State of Illinois will provide safe harbor for their political actions and shield them from legal process,” they wrote in the filing, referring to the Democratic lawmakers who fled to Illinois.
“The United States Constitution, federal statute, and the doctrine of comity between states demand otherwise.”
The court filing adds that the Texas House of Representatives aims to seek a court order that recognizes warrants that were issued earlier this week, requesting that judges in Illinois issue “civil warrants directing the appropriate Illinois law enforcement officials to effectuate the civil arrest” of the Texas Democrats.
It is also asking the court to coordinate with the House’s Sergeant-at-Arms and the Texas Department of Public Safety to have the lawmakers returned to the Lone Star State.
Last week, state House Democrats left Texas for states including Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts in order to block Republicans in the House from achieving a quorum, denying them the ability to conduct legislative business.
The Democrats said that the move is designed to block the redistricting map effort, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Texas Republicans have called for their arrest.
Abbott on Thursday warned that Democrats who fled the state to block the GOP-led congressional redistricting effort will ultimately be unsuccessful because he’d continue to call special legislative sessions to advance the new map.
