REVEALED: Texas House Sergeant-at-Arms and cops are searching for the runaway Democrats' at their HOMES to serve arrest warrants
Texas House Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Black is going door to door to round up Democrats in the Lone Star State in an effort to reach quorum so the legislature can vote on election security, according to KXAN.
The House needs two-thirds of its members present to hold a vote, but Democrats have refused to show up, with nearly 60 fleeing to Washington, DC last month in a flashy display of defiance.
Local law enforcement is also assisting in the search, and if they find any lawmakers they can take them into custody and bring them to the Texas House chamber.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed the civil arrest warrants of 52 Democrats who remained absent from business on Wednesday, and Black delivered their arrest warrants at the Capitol.
The decision was approved after the Texas House voted 80-12 to move forward with the arrests for absent members, which enabled Phelan to issue the warrants. It's the second time that such a vote has been taking during ongoing quorum-bust.
The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday also overturned a trial court judge's ruling that would have prevented absent Democrats from being arrested.
State Rep. Gene Wu, the first fleeing Democrat to appear in court over the warrant, temporarily avoided arrest Thursday but was set to occur in court again next Thursday.
Texas Democrats fled their state for Washington, D.C. on two private jets chartered at $100,000 to both deny Republicans quorum - the minimum number of members needed present to conduct business - and to draw attention to the effort to expand voting rights.
Texas House Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Black delivered their arrest warrants at the Capitol
Texas Democrats fled their state for Washington, D.C. on two private jets chartered at $100,000 to both deny Republicans quorum - the minimum number of members needed present to conduct business - and to draw attention to the effort to expand voting rights
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed the civil arrest warrants of 52 Democrats who remained absent from business on Wednesday, and Black delivered their arrest warrants at the Capitol
The House needs two-thirds of its members present to hold a vote, but Democrats have refused to show up, with nearly 60 fleeing to Washington, DC last month in a flashy display of defiance
Meanwhile, Republicans promised they would be arrested upon their return to Texas and compelled to come to the legislature to move forward with their election security measures in special session.
The warrants were signed after Democrats failed to show up during the fifth day of the House's second special session, leaving the chamber eight members short of a quorum.
Republicans are seeking to pass two new 'election integrity' bills, whereby voting would be allowed on election days from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., drive-thru voting would be banned and mail voters would also be asked to verify their identities with a state ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Democrats have filed suit, naming Abbott and Phelan as defendants, said they had been 'deprived of liberty for substantial periods of time, suffered much anxiety and distress over the separation from their families.'
They also said they had suffered 'much discomfort and embarrassment' because their reputations have been 'impaired'.
In the suit, the Democrats further allege that they 'have lost much time from their homes and the companionship and care of their families and have been required to spend substantial sums of money'.
The fleeing lawmakers received a warm welcome from members of their party in Washington, and met with high-powered lawmakers to discuss voting rights legislation and even Vice President Kamala Harris herself. At least three of them tested positive for Covid-19 after jet-setting maskless to the nation's capital, and Harris subsequently tested negative.