Texas Gov. Greg Abbott going after Democrats who broke quorum with $10,000 fines

Gov. Greg Abbott is making sure Democrats pay for fleeing the state to break quorum.

Texas House Democrats are posting letters they received in the past 24 hours from the chamber’s Republican leadership stating that they owe thousands of dollars in fines for decamping to Illinois, Massachusetts and New York delay the passage of the GOP-led redistricting map.

Rep. Josey Garcia, whose district includes San Antonio, was one such Democrat who shared her letter on Facebook. The notice, signed by state Rep. Charlie Geren, chairman of the Committee for House Administration, listed a grand total of almost $10,000 in penalties.

Rep. Christian Manuel, D-Port Arthur, shared the same letter to his Facebook page, and it included the same exact total. In the caption, he stated “Dear Jefferson county … the cost of me protesting for my beliefs [is]… 9,354.25.”

The notice itemized a charge of $500 per day, which each quorum-breaking representative is being required to pay in addition to pro rata charges distributed amongst the group. These include the purported cost of their surveillance by the Department of Public Safety.

Texas House representatives make $600 per month, or just $7,000 annually, plus a per diem of $221 for every day the legislature is in session. A full regular session comes to a little over $30,000, meaning Garcia and Manuel’s fines are roughly a third of what they made during this spring’s session. The next regular session isn’t until 2023.

Garcia, a disabled veteran, lives off her disability and stated she would need to fundraise to cover the $10,000 penalty.

Democrats have until Monday at noon to challenge the fines and request a due process hearing, according to the letters.

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This article appears in Aug 21 – Sep 2, 2025.