Texas Republicans could have a hard time enforcing threats against Democrats who left
But there are barriers to following through on the tough talk that's come from Gov. Greg Abbott on down, just as the Democrats' effort may not stop Republicans from ultimately approving the map sought by President Donald Trump to shore up his party's 2026 midterm prospects.
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Toronto Sun
5 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Texas governor asks court to remove House Democratic leader from office over walkout
Published Aug 05, 2025 • 3 minute read Greg Abbott , governor of Texaas. Photo by Bonnie Cash / Bloomberg AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday asked the state's highest court to remove the Democratic House leader from office, escalating efforts to end the holdout that is blocking redrawn U.S. House maps sought by President Donald Trump. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. 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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Bypassing lower courts, Abbott filed a rare emergency petition straight to the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court just three days into a walkout by Democrats. It hinges on a legal theory that even some Republicans have acknowledged is untested, arguing that absent legislators have effectively forfeited their seats by not returning to the Texas Capitol. The move intensifies Republicans' attempts to compel dozens of Democrats back to Texas, including signing civil arrest warrants and mobilizing state troopers. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn asked the FBI earlier Tuesday to help find and arrest Democrats, and Trump later told reporters that federal agents 'may have to' get involved, though he did not elaborate. 'Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences,' Abbott said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The lawsuit from Abbott, a former state Supreme Court justice, seeks the removal of state House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Gene Wu, who is one of dozens of members of his caucus staying in Chicago. The governor asked the court to respond by Thursday. Wu, a former prosecutor in Houston, said leaving Texas to halt the maps was not 'an abandonment of my office' but a fulfillment of his oath. 'Unable to defend his corrupt agenda on its merits, Greg Abbott now desperately seeks to silence my dissent by removing a duly-elected official from office,' he said. Texas leaders try turning up pressure Republicans face barriers to following through on their threats — just as Democrats still have obstacles in the way of stopping Republicans from ultimately approving the map sought by Trump to shore up his party's 2026 midterm prospects. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Legal experts and even Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton say it would be difficult to enforce consequences against the Democratic lawmakers while they are safely camped out in sympathetic Democratic-controlled states and effectively out of reach of Texas law enforcement looking to bring them home. Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate against Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary, threw out some of the earliest calls for arrests. But even he has called enforcing the various threats 'a challenge.' 'Until they show up themselves back in Texas, sometimes it's hard to actually execute on that,' Paxton said in interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. By leaving Texas for Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, the Democrats prevented the 150-member state House of Representatives from reaching a quorum for a scheduled vote on the new U.S. House voting map. Trump hopes to pick up five Republican seats from Texas in 2026. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Republicans hold an 88-62 majority in the House, and the Texas Constitution requires at least 100 members be present to do business. With at least 51 Democrats absent, the House failed to reach a quorum Monday and again Tuesday. The current special session ends Aug. 20 but Abbott can keep calling lawmakers back to the Capitol to pass the redistricting bill. Texas Republicans sought changes after a previous walkout Following a walkout by Texas Democrats in 2021, Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion that argued the state could sue the lawmakers to have their seats declared vacated. This week, Paxton said that could be a long process that would require individual lawsuits filed against each missing lawmaker, sometimes in district courts he said would not be friendly to Republicans. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Still, Paxton said Tuesday that he will press ahead with lawsuits if lawmakers don't return by Friday. 'We'll see where it goes,' Republican state Sen. Charles Perry said. 'It's a tall order to remove an elected official from the Legislature.' Abbott also ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate possible bribery charges related to how the Democrats are paying for their quorum break, alleging anyone who financially helped them leave the state could be culpable. State Rep. James Talarico, one of the Democrats who left, encouraged donations to support their effort. 'And that's appropriate because this fight is for the people and it should be funded by the people,' he said. David Froomkin, an assistant law professor at the University of Houston Law Center, said the removal effort and bribery charges would be on weak legal ground, and the threats of arrests and investigations are more likely meant to intimidate. 'It's much more aggressive hardball than we have seen in battles over the quorum requirement,' Froomkin said. 'In general in this country today, we're seeing incumbents be much more inclined to make aggressive use of their power in order to try to maintain their power.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Columnists World Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Opinion
Winnipeg Free Press
5 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump threatens federal takeover of DC after attack on former DOGE worker
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two 15-year-olds have been arrested in Washington in connection with the attempted carjacking and beating of one of the most prominent members of the Department of Government Efficiency, renewing calls from President Donald Trump for the federal government to seize control of the nation's capital. The victim, Edward Coristine, nicknamed 'Big Balls,' was among the most visible figures of Trump's DOGE, which was tasked with slashing federal bureaucracy. Coristine was assaulted around 3 a.m. Sunday in the city's Logan Circle neighborhood by a group of teenagers attempting to carjack him and a woman whom police identified as his significant other, according to authorities. The Metropolitan Police Department said the group approached the couple's car and made a comment about taking it. Coristine pushed the woman into the vehicle for safety and turned to confront the group. At least several of the teens then attacked him, police said, until officers patrolling nearby intervened. As officers moved toward the group, the teens fled on foot. Two 15-year-olds from Maryland were arrested on charges of unarmed carjacking, police said. The attack gave new fuel to long-standing Republican efforts to challenge Washington's autonomy, with Trump threatening to bypass local authority and impose direct federal control over the city. In a social media post and remarks at the White House on Tuesday, the president described crime in Washington as 'out of control.' 'If D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The District of Columbia has long served as a symbolic battleground in debates over crime and governance, and its lack of statehood has made it uniquely vulnerable to federal intervention. Republican leaders have frequently seized on episodes of violence to portray the city as a case study of violence in cities run by Democratic mayors, even as city officials note that violent crime overall is down more than 25% from the same period last year. Still, local officials have acknowledged in recent years that youth crime, particularly carjackings, remains a serious concern. Just last year, a 14-year-old was charged with killing a Lyft driver in a botched carjacking, and a significant portion of carjacking arrests in Washington involve juveniles. The Metropolitan Police Department said its investigation into the attack on Coristine remains active and additional suspects are still being sought. __ Balsamo reported from New York.
Calgary Herald
22 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
Oil steadies after drop as traders weigh Trump's tariff threat
Article content (Bloomberg) — Oil held a four-day drop as investors looked beyond a threat from President Donald Trump to impose secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian energy, while US data pointed to softer conditions in the largest economy. Article content Brent traded below $68 a barrel after losing almost 8% over four sessions, while West Texas Intermediate was near $65. Trump suggested he would impose increased tariffs on countries buying oil from Moscow — possibly including China — after saying he would soon raise levies on India. Article content Article content Article content US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia this week, ahead of Trump's Aug. 8 deadline for Moscow to reach a truce with Ukraine. The Kremlin is weighing options for a concession that could include an air truce, even as it remains determined to continue the war. Article content Article content Oil has edged lower after three months of gains, with a focus on headwinds to growth in the US that may hurt energy demand, as well as a move by OPEC+ to roll back output curbs. Last weekend, the alliance agreed to raise production from September by about 547,000 barrels a day, boosting concerns that global supplies will run ahead of consumption this half. Article content In the US, data showed the services sector effectively stagnated in July, aligning with other signals that the economy is flashing warning signs. Figures last week showed a much weaker labor market than previously thought. Article content Article content Meanwhile, petroleum industry estimates painted a mixed picture of moves in US stockpiles. Nationwide crude holdings fell 4.2 million barrels last week, although oil reserves at the key hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, rose, along with distillate inventories. An official breakdown is due later Wednesday. Article content Some metrics point to softer conditions. Brent's prompt spread — the difference between its two nearest contracts — was 69 cents a barrel in backwardation, compared with more than $1 a month ago. While still a bullish pattern, with near-term prices above the next in line, the trend suggests a weakening. Article content
