Abbott is determined to keep calling special sessions until Texas Democrats come back.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made it clear that he plans to keep calling special sessions of the Texas Legislature “for literally years” until the Democrats return to the state to vote on redistricting. “I’m authorized to call a special session every 30 days. It lasts 30 days. And as soon as this one wraps up, I’m going to call another one, and then another, and then another,” Abbott stated during an interview on “Fox News Sunday” on August 10, amidst an ongoing standoff with at least 51 Democrats who have left Texas. The Democrats are against the potential vote in the Republican-controlled state Legislature that would push forward new congressional maps, which are likely to boost the Republican majority in the state’s federal House delegation for the midterm elections. According to the Texas state Constitution, at least two-thirds of lawmakers need to be present to conduct official business. If they return, they risk arrest and being forced to attend the Legislature, unless they strike a deal with Texas Republicans to move forward on this issue. Abbott, along with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has warned of arrests and possible criminal charges for Democrats who don’t come back to the state. He made it clear that he intends to stick to those threats. “If they come back to Texas, they will be arrested and taken to the Capitol. If they want to avoid that arrest, they’ll have to stay out of Texas for literally years,” he said. As long as the Texas House is in session, any lawmaker in the state who isn’t present—thus preventing the body from reaching a quorum to conduct official business—can be compelled by authorities to attend the session. Abbott’s commitment to continue calling special sessions means that Texas Democrats who oppose allowing the House to meet quorum may have to remain in self-imposed exile from the state. But that’s not the only hurdle they’re facing. During the August 10 interview, Abbott reiterated his threats to pursue removal from office for those who don’t comply. “We’re in a situation where lawmakers are not following the law outlined in Article 3 of the Texas Constitution, which requires them to act on bills. By ignoring this constitutional duty, they’re not upholding their oath of office, and that opens the door for their removal through the legal action I’m pursuing,” Abbott stated. Back in June, Abbott convened a special session of the Legislature to tackle various issues, including the state’s congressional maps. The Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has cautioned that several of Texas’s districts might be in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Trump has been open about his hope that Republicans could gain as many as five House seats through what he referred to on July 15 as a “simple redrawing.” Such victories could help him sidestep the “six-year slump” that often affects presidents during their second terms. On August 2, a Texas House committee moved forward with legislation aimed at redrawing the state’s congressional map. The following day, enough Democrats left Texas to prevent the Legislature from reaching a quorum—after weeks of hinting they might take such action. To have a quorum, 100 out of the 150 members of the state House need to be present. With Democrats holding 62 seats, it was a tight situation. By August 4, only six Democrats remained to vote on a resolution to arrest their colleagues who had left the state, suggesting that around 56 had already departed. Abbott and Paxton have threatened to pursue felony bribery charges against the Democrats involved in this standoff and are looking to extradite these lawmakers back to Texas. Many of them have sought refuge in Illinois and New York, where they’ve been promised protection by Governors JB Pritzker and Kathy Hochul. According to Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), the FBI is stepping in to help track down the Democrats who have left the state.

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