Texas Democrats continue holdout in Illinois over redistricting attempt
WARRENVILLE, Ill. - Texas House Democrats broke quorum during a special congressional session on Monday by traveling to blue states, including Illinois, over the weekend.
In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued civil arrest warrants, accusing them of abandoning their legislative duties.
What we know:
On Monday, the Texas State House convened briefly, but at least for now, Democrats have prevented their GOP colleagues from moving forward with a new congressional map.
Redistricting typically occurs every 10 years and was last completed in Texas in 2021. But last week, Republicans introduced plans for new congressional district mapping, backed by President Donald Trump. Such a move would allow Republicans in Texas to flip up to five House seats currently held by Democrats.
"We were all there when these maps were passed in 2021 by unanimous votes of the Republicans," said U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas. "They swore at that time, these maps were the most beautiful maps, they were perfect."
"They literally want to take us back by disenfranchising Black and Brown communities. And we say no, we say hell no," added Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Texas.
Texas Democrats remain in Illinois after breaking quorum
As House Republicans in Texas tried to take up a controversial redistricting vote, dozens of Democrats from the state were hiding out in Illinois.
House Democrats say they'll do whatever it takes to block this latest attempt at re-mapping. On Sunday, dozens of representatives from Texas traveled to Illinois and other blue states like Massachusetts and New York ahead of Monday's session.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has already warned that he will try to remove them from office if they don’t return. Then, on Monday, Abbott called on the Texas Department of Public Safety to issue civil warrants for their arrest.
What they're saying:
The Texas House Democrats who had traveled to Illinois met in west suburban Warrenville on Monday evening to protest the redistricting attempt.
"This special session was supposed to be about saving lives after a tragedy," said Rep. John Bucy III, D-Texas. "But instead of holding hearings on flood prevention, Greg Abbott and Donald Trump held eight hearings on redistricting."
In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker welcomed dozens of Texas lawmakers on Sunday night.
"This is not just rigging the system in Texas," Pritzker said. "It’s about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come."
At the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 701 in Warrenville, lawmakers from Texas were joined by Illinois Representatives Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi to talk about the widespread political impact they feel this could have.
"You can gerrymander the hell out of that map, but guess what, two can play that game, other states will do exactly the same thing and neutralize what you're trying to do in Texas. It's not going to work," said U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois.
"If they succeed in Texas, they will take this to other states. They will take this to the county court level, they will take this to the commissioners, the school boards," said U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas.
On Monday, FOX 32 spoke with political analyst Thom Serafin, who noted that Pritzker is placing himself in the national spotlight, possibly signaling a future presidential bid.
He also shared that there is an ironic history of gerrymandering in Illinois.
"They come to Illinois, the most gerrymandered state in the union," Serafin said. "The reason Mike Madigan, the (former) Speaker of the House, was in control for 40 years, the longest surviving speaker in the history of the country, is because he was able to gerrymander the state. Fifty years ago, there were 24 congressmen in Illinois. We had 13 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Today, we have 17 [congressmen] — 14 Democrats and three Republicans. The state has been gerrymandered to death."
What's next:
Just how long could Texas Democrats stay in Illinois?
The special congressional session isn't set to end until Aug.19, so it is possible they wait this out for a couple weeks.