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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 |
| (about 3 hours 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. | 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. |
| While the filing focuses on Wu, Abbott said in a statement that the departure of more than 50 Democrats would "constitute abandonment of their office, justifying their removal". | |
| The redrawn congressional map would create five more Republican-leaning seats in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC, where Republicans hold a slim majority. | The redrawn congressional map would create five more Republican-leaning seats in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC, where Republicans hold a slim majority. |
| Gerrymandering – redrawing electoral boundaries to favour a political party – has been a practice of both Democrats and Republicans nationwide over the years. | |
| But typically, states undergo redistricting every 10 years, when voting maps are redrawn to account for population changes noted in the US census. Texas last re-drew its congressional lines in 2021, just after the 2020 census, and wouldn't typically change those lines again until the next population count in five years. | |
| "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 the Democratic lawmakers fled the state at the weekend. | |
| How a Texas showdown could reshape Congress - and Trump's presidency | How a Texas showdown could reshape Congress - and Trump's presidency |
| "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. |
| The lawsuit 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 lawsuit 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. |
| At a White House event on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the FBI "may have to" help Texas authorities in locating and arresting the lawmakers. | |
| "I know they want them back, not only the attorney general ... the governor of Texas is demanding they come back. So, a lot of people are demanding they come back," Trump said. | |
| 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". | 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". | 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. | 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 | Watch: Texas Democrats and Republicans at odds over redistricting vote |
| All nine justices on the Texas Supreme Court are Republican, and the chief justice was formerly Abbott's general counsel. | 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 the legal process would possibly be long and drawn-out. | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is pursuing a separate action to have the Democrats' seats declared "vacant", said on Monday 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. | 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. "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 |
| Trump has urged on Texas Republicans in the redistricting process. | |
| He told CNBC on Tuesday: "I got the highest vote [last year] in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats." | |
| Now Democrats nationwide are threatening to up the ante with tit-for-tat tactics, although they face legal hurdles. | |
| Democrats in California want to reshape their own district maps and shed five Republican seats, although voters would have to approve such a plan. Democrats in Wisconsin filed lawsuits last month seeking to redistrict. | |
| New York's Democratic Governor wants to redistrict, too, but doing so would require an amendment to the state constitution. | |
| Republican governors in Florida and Missouri have expressed willingness to redistrict congressional seats in those states. | |
| Ohio Republicans will draw a new map that could wrest away at least two Democratic seats before next year's midterm elections. |