“Come And Take It” 🤣

This is not the democratic republic we have lived under for 230+ years. This is strongman authoritarianism. The Republican Party is completely out of control and drunk with power. pic.twitter.com/QIgLqP4PSG

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 4, 2025

Aw, it ain’t that bad.

"This truancy ends now,” Abbott said in a letter sent to each of the departed members. “The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025.”

If they are not back by then, Abbott said, he would initiate legal action to remove them from office. He cited a nonbinding 2021 legal opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who said it would be up to a court to decide whether a lawmaker who had left the state to deny quorum had forfeited their office. If a court were to decide that the legislators had vacated their offices, Abbott would be permitted to fill those seats with appointees of his choosing, Paxton’s opinion stated.

Abbott further alleged members could face felony charges for fundraising to pay the $500 fine they will each accrue every day they are away from Austin during the session. Lawmakers who are “soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules” may be violating bribery laws, Abbott said, adding that anyone who donates to the cause could also be liable.

The governor said he would move to extradite “any potential out-of-state felons.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said at Sunday’s press conference that he would do whatever he could to help Texas lawmakers while they were on the lam.

I’m making a few impertinent guesses here, but the attempt to declare seats vacated would require court action (as the AG’s opinion says), and I believe venue would lie in the district, not in Austin. More than 50 Democrats left the state. That’s 50 cases across the state, or 50 in Austin. Either way, it would take months, if not years, to get them heard.

The filing deadline for candidates is November. Those five new districts need five new candidates. Abbott doesn’t have months to spare.

And the $500 a day fines are only enforceable under House rules, and may not be enforceable at all. More lawsuits, more delays. And criminal charges based on those House rules would have to be brought by DA’s in those districts. Paxton has no criminal jurisdiction. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled on that twice. Paxton can’t help Abbott here.

Extradition would depend on grand jury proceedings (for felonies). Again, in every district. Still more time. 

Abbott can’t do shit, and he’s throwing a tantrum. Just like Trump.

The Democrats only need to be gone a week. When they return to Texas, the state can’t do anything to them.

The Texas House Democratic Caucus, the organizing group for House Democrats, responded to Abbott's threats with a four-word statement that read, "Come and take it."

The only club Abbott has is that these people are part-time legislators who need to go back home to work. The state pays diddly for their services. But if someone is paying the bills to help them stay beyond the Red River, Abbott is screwed and he knows it.

😈

(To recap: Abbott would need to prove the House fines were valid and enforceable. That would take a House member be fined, and challenge. Years in court (appeals, etc.), just to have a basis to seek a felony charge. Then he’d have to find a DA willing to bring charges.  More delays. Then get that DA to pursue extradition on a Representative who’s in Texas again, after next week? Or, he declares them derelict, and gets Paxton to challenge them in court. Years in litigation (appeals, etc.) Make this make sense.)