This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93dkwnx94ro

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Texas Democrats: Abbott threatens legislators with bribery charges for stalling vote Texas Republicans vote to arrest Democrats stalling redistricting vote
(about 3 hours later)
Texas governor Greg Abbott has threatened to file bribery charges against Democratic legislators who fled the state to prevent a vote on a controversial redistricting plan that would significantly favour Republicans.
At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body must be present to proceed with the vote. The quorum became unreachable when 51 Democratic lawmakers left the state.
The proposed congressional map, unveiled last week by Texas Republicans, would create more Republican seats in the US House of Representatives where they hold a slim majority currently.
Abbott warned that lawmakers who refuse to return to vote on the map could face second-degree felony charges.
Watch: Texas Democrats and Republicans at odds over redistricting voteWatch: Texas Democrats and Republicans at odds over redistricting vote
"It would be bribery if any lawmaker took money to perform or to refuse to perform an act in the legislature," Abbott said on Fox News on Monday. "And the reports are these legislators have both sought money and offered money to skip the vote, to leave the legislature, to take a legislative act. That would be bribery." Texas Republicans have voted to track down and arrest the more than 50 Democratic legislators who fled the state to prevent a vote on a controversial redistricting plan that would significantly favour conservatives.
The governor also issued a letter to Democrats asking them to return to Texas by Monday afternoon. The vote passed by 85 to 6, and came after Republican Gov Greg Abbott threatened bribery charges against the absent Democrats.
"This truancy ends now," he wrote. "The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Monday," Abbott said in the letter released on late Sunday evening. After the vote, the governor ordered state troopers to "to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans".
Earlier, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, had threatened to have the Democratic leaders arrested. The proposed congressional map, unveiled last week by Republicans, would create more Republican seats in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC where they hold a slim majority currently.
Paxton wrote on X that the state should "use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law". At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body must be present to proceed with the vote. The quorum became unreachable more than 50 Democratic lawmakers left the state.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows told reporters after the vote that he had "signed the civil arrest warrants" for the Democrats.
Most of the Democrats fled to Illinois where the state's Governor JB Pritzker said he was "going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them" amid arrest threats from Abbott.Most of the Democrats fled to Illinois where the state's Governor JB Pritzker said he was "going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them" amid arrest threats from Abbott.
The Democrats said they planned to stay away from Texas for two weeks until the end of a special legislative session.The Democrats said they planned to stay away from Texas for two weeks until the end of a special legislative session.
"We will do whatever it takes. What that looks like, we don't know," Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader, said."We will do whatever it takes. What that looks like, we don't know," Gene Wu, the Texas House Democratic Caucus leader, said.
Texas Republicans currently hold 25 out of 38 congressional seats in the Lone Star State. The vote on Monday is 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.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott warned earlier that lawmakers who refuse to return to vote on the map could face second-degree felony charges.
"It would be bribery if any lawmaker took money to perform or to refuse to perform an act in the legislature," Abbott said on Fox News on Monday. "And the reports are these legislators have both sought money and offered money to skip the vote, to leave the legislature, to take a legislative act. That would be bribery."
After legislators voted to issue warrants against the Democrats, Abbott issued a statement ordering the Texas Department of Public Safety "to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans".
He added that his order will remain in effect "until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol".
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, had also threatened to have the Democratic leaders arrested.
Paxton, who is currently running for the US Senate, wrote on X that the state should "use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law".
At the federal level in Washington, Texas Republicans currently hold 25 out of the state's 38 congressional seats.
They hope the new maps could increase that number to 30 - all in constituencies that President Donald Trump won last November by at least 10 points.They hope the new maps could increase that number to 30 - all in constituencies that President Donald Trump won last November by at least 10 points.
Trump's party currently has 219 of 435 seats in the House, while Democrats hold 212. The redistricting could help pad the slender Republican majority in the House, which is the lower chamber of Congress. Trump's party currently has 219 of 435 seats in the US House of Representatives, while Democrats hold 212. The redistricting could help pad the slender Republican majority in the House, which is the lower chamber of Congress.
Both Republicans and Democrats have been accused of manipulating boundaries of an electoral constituency - commonly known as gerrymandering.Both Republicans and Democrats have been accused of manipulating boundaries of an electoral constituency - commonly known as gerrymandering.
A few Democratic leaders in other states have suggested they may redraw their own legislative maps to counter the proposed losses of seats in Texas.A few Democratic leaders in other states have suggested they may redraw their own legislative maps to counter the proposed losses of seats in Texas.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was exploring a constitutional amendment to move up the timeline to redraw legislative lines in her state.New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was exploring a constitutional amendment to move up the timeline to redraw legislative lines in her state.
New York - along with California, Colorado and Washington - assigns redistricting to non-partisan, independent commissions, rather than the state legislatures.New York - along with California, Colorado and Washington - assigns redistricting to non-partisan, independent commissions, rather than the state legislatures.
States typically undergo redistricting every 10 years, when voting maps are redrawn to account for population changes.States typically undergo redistricting every 10 years, when voting maps are redrawn to account for population changes.
The most recent US Census was in 2020. Redrawing district lines in the middle of a decade is unusual.The most recent US Census was in 2020. Redrawing district lines in the middle of a decade is unusual.