Texas GOP issues warrants for absent Democrats

Gov. Greg Abbott began a second special legislative session on Saturday, but with more than two dozen Democratic lawmakers still in Washington, the legislature remains shy of a quorum. The Texas Supreme Court ruled to allow the arrests of the absent members of the state House. Shortly after that decision, Republicans voted to allow the sergeant-at-arms and authorities to issue civil arrest warrants to return the remaining Democrats to the House floor. Abbott has vowed to keep starting special sessions until the Senate passes legislation.

What are the Democrats protesting? Fifty-two House Democrats fled the state in July to bring national attention to voting reforms. They have been petitioning Congress to pass a bill that would prevent Abbott from setting Texas voting rules back to pre-pandemic standards. The changes would do away with 24-hour polling locations, drive-thru voting, and universal mail-in ballots. Some of the Democrats have returned to Texas but are avoiding the state capitol.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s report on The World and Everything In It on partisan voting battles.