Texas House issue arrest warrants for Democrats who walked out to block redistricting vote

In a new fit of symbolic rage, the Republican-controlled Texas House voted Monday afternoon to issue arrest warrants for 50-plus Democratic lawmakers who left the state to prevent debate on Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial and unpopular mid-decade redistricting plan.

Following an 85-6 vote, House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced his plan to immediately sign warrants for the missing legislators and empower state troopers to drag them back to the Capitol.
Well, theoretically, anyway.

In reality, the warrants only apply within state lines, and the Democrats who left the Capitol are now hanging out in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts precisely to avoid being rounded up and returned by state law-enforcement officials.

In a statement released Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott also said he’d mobilized state troopers to help round up the errant Dems. See above for why his announcement is also symbolic, not to mention utterly redundant.

Adding to the yawn factor, the missing Dems face neither civil nor criminal charges under the warrants.

And before anyone assumes Burrows’ action qualifies as some kind of bold and unprecedented move, remember the Texas House issued identical warrants in 2021 to try to bring back Democrats who flew out of state to shut down an elections bill designed to make it harder for disenfranchised groups to vote.

Under a state law adopted after the 2021 walkout, Democrats who break quorum do face fines of $500 for each day of the session they miss. However, top national fundraisers for the party have pledged to cover those financial penalties.

Start popping the popcorn. More GOP drama is bound to be on the horizon. 

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This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 6, 2025.