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| Texas Governor Greg Abbott seeks court order to fire top Democrat who fled in row over voting map | Texas Governor Greg Abbott seeks court order to fire top Democrat who fled in row over voting map |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Watch: "We have to use every tool" - State lawmaker defends leaving Texas over gerrymandering | Watch: "We have to use every tool" - State lawmaker defends leaving Texas over gerrymandering |
| Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he is taking legal action to remove from office dozens of Democrats who have fled the state to block a plan to redraw electoral boundaries. | Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he is taking legal action to remove from office dozens of Democrats who have fled the state to block a plan to redraw electoral boundaries. |
| He filed a lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to fire Democratic legislator, Gene Wu, whom he called the "ringleader" of a plot to "hijack" state government. | |
| It came a day after the Republican governor ordered that the absent Democrats be arrested and returned to the statehouse so a vote on redistricting can go ahead. | |
| The redrawn congressional map would create five more Republican-leaning constituencies in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC, where Republicans hold a slim majority. | |
| "Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences," the governor said in a statement. | "Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences," the governor said in a statement. |
| At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to proceed with the vote. The quorum became unreachable after more than 50 Democratic lawmakers fled the state at the weekend. | At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to proceed with the vote. The quorum became unreachable after more than 50 Democratic lawmakers fled the state at the weekend. |
| "The court's decision will determine if only one third of the Legislature can dictate the outcome for 100% of Texans," the lawsuit says. | "The court's decision will determine if only one third of the Legislature can dictate the outcome for 100% of Texans," the lawsuit says. |
| It argues: "Most people who repeatedly fail to show up for work get fired. Public servants must be held to the same standard." | It argues: "Most people who repeatedly fail to show up for work get fired. Public servants must be held to the same standard." |
| The filing asks the state's highest court to grant a rarely used writ of quo warranto to oust Wu from his office. | The filing asks the state's highest court to grant a rarely used writ of quo warranto to oust Wu from his office. |
| Quo warranto is a court action used to resolve a dispute over whether a specific person has the legal right to hold public office. | Quo warranto is a court action used to resolve a dispute over whether a specific person has the legal right to hold public office. |
| While the lawsuit focuses on Wu, Abbott said in a statement that the Democrats' exit and refusal to return "constitute abandonment of their office, justifying their removal [from office]". | While the lawsuit focuses on Wu, Abbott said in a statement that the Democrats' exit and refusal to return "constitute abandonment of their office, justifying their removal [from office]". |
| Wu, who is chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, told the Texas Tribune that denying a quorum was "not an abandonment of my office", but "a fulfillment of my oath". | |
| He accused Abbott of seeking to "silence my dissent by removing a duly-elected official from office", and argued "my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant". | |
| The lawsuit asks the Republican-dominated Texas Supreme Court to issue its ruling by 17:00 local time on Thursday – one day before the House session is scheduled to resume. | |
| Watch: Texas Democrats and Republicans at odds over redistricting vote | |
| Wu was asked by CNN on Monday whether Abbott could have state lawmakers removed from office. | |
| "Absolutely not," he said. "And that's very clear." | |
| All nine justices on the Texas Supreme Court are Republican, and the chief justice was formerly Abbott's general counsel. | |
| Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is pursuing a separate action to have the Democrats' seats declared "vacant", said on Monday that the legal process would possibly be long and drawn-out. | |
| Paxton told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that to remove the lawmakers, separate lawsuits would need to be filed against each one in their individual counties. | |
| "We'd have to go through a court process, and we'd have to file that maybe in districts that are not friendly to Republicans," Paxton said, according to the Tribune. | |
| "So it's a challenge because every district would be different." | |
| Democrats have defended their decision to break quorum. | Democrats have defended their decision to break quorum. |
| Speaking to BBC News from Chicago, Texas Democrat Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos said: "We have to use every tool at our disposal... to continue to protect our democracy." | Speaking to BBC News from Chicago, Texas Democrat Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos said: "We have to use every tool at our disposal... to continue to protect our democracy." |
| Watch: What is gerrymandering? We use gummy bears to explain | Watch: What is gerrymandering? We use gummy bears to explain |