Greg Abbott says Democrats fleeing from Texas will be ‘arrested’ when they return to the state

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Democratic lawmakers who have left the state can and will “be arrested” upon their return as he presses ahead with changes to voting laws.

Abbott, a Republican, gave an interview to KVUE Monday about the Democrats’ decision to leave the state and whether the special session of the Texas legislature called for by the governor could be held.

Democratic lawmakers from Texas traveled to Washington, D.C., on Monday in order to deny the legislature the two-thirds quorum required in order to do business and pass legislation.

KVUE asked Abbott if the Democrats’ withdrawal meant that two voting bills — Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3 — could not pass and whether he could do anything as governor to force lawmakers back into the state.

“There is still plenty of time to pass on not only the bills I mentioned but there are a lot of other bills out there,” Abbott said.

He highlighted some measures other than voting reforms. Then dealt with the issue of quorum.

“In response to your second question, yes, there is something a governor can do,” said Abbott.

“First of all, I will tell you what the House of Representatives can do. What a speaker can do is put in a call to arrest these members.

“Plus, however, I can and will continue to call for special session after private session after private session all the way until the election next year. And so if these people want to spend time anywhere they are in this unwelcome payer-driven group Taxes, they should be prepared to do that for more than a year,” the governor said.

“Once they are back in Texas, they will be arrested, and they will be confined inside the Texas Capitol until they have accomplished their missions. Everyone with a job must appear to do the job, just as your viewers are watching right now. Representatives of the states have the same responsibility.”

Over the weekend, Republicans in the state legislature worked to quickly introduce the two voting bills. These laws will add new ID requirements for mail-in ballots and 24-hour bans on polling sites, and voting by cars and ballot boxes, among other measures.

Critics say these changes will make it more difficult for people to vote and will disproportionately affect black people. Abbott has repeatedly defended the new measures, telling KVUE: “Anyone suggesting this disqualifies anyone. [of] The right to vote is just a huge mistake.”

Under Texas law, absent legislators can face arrest and be forced to attend the legislature. In 2003, Democrats in the legislature fled the state to Oklahoma and succeeded in preventing the redistricting plan from being passed.

Texas Democrats staged a strike in May and successfully halted an earlier version of voting legislation. However, lawmakers may have to stay out of Texas for weeks or more in order to prevent the current proposals from being passed if Abbott continues to hold special sessions as he suggested.

The Texas Democratic Party released a statement Monday, saying: “After Democrats have historically obstructed Republican anti-voter efforts in the spring legislative session, Abbott called for an additional, irregular legislative session in order to revive anti-voter legislation—Republicans the main hope for clinging to power in the 2022 election. .

“In response to Republicans stepping up their attacks on voters, Democrats continue to hold out,” the statement said.

Newsweek asked the Texas Democratic Party for comment.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference in which he signed Senate Bills 2 and 3 at the Capitol on June 8, 2021 in Austin, Texas. Abbott said Democrats who fled the state would be arrested upon their return. Montenique Munro / Getty Images

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