Live updates: Texas AG sues to remove Democratic lawmakers who remain absent from legislature

CNN

5 days ago

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Title: Texas judge temporarily bars Beto O'Rourke's PAC from fundraising for absent Democratic lawmakers
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A district judge in Texas granted a temporary restraining order today that will prohibit former gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke's political group from fundraising to cover the costs of the Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state to block Republicans' redistricting efforts.
The swift decision comes just hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a the lawsuit against O'Rourke and his PAC, Powered By People, alleging in a news release that the group 'intentionally misled donors to fund runaway Democrats' personal expenses.'
The Friday evening ruling bars the group for 14 days from using, raising or offering funds for out-of-state travel, hotel and dining costs incurred by the lawmakers.
The judge argued in her ruling that the group's fundraising efforts are 'unlawful and harms Texas consumers' and thus, a temporary block 'is in the public interest.'
Paxton celebrated the judge's order, saying in a statement: 'Today, I stopped (O'Rourke's) deceptive financial influence scheme that attempted to deceive donors and subvert our constitutional process.'
CNN has reached out to Powered By People for comment.
O'Rourke said in a post on X that Paxton's lawsuit against his organization is an effort 'to try to take us out of the fight.'
'He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump's attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I'm not going anywhere,' O'Rourke added.
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Title: Newsom promises November special election on redistricting: "People understand what's at stake"
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to get his redistricting effort on the ballot for a November special election, emphasizing that the state's redistricting efforts were 'emergency measures.'
'We will raise an unprecedented amount of attention, and we will garner an unprecedented amount of support, because people understand what's at stake,' Newsom said in a press conference.
Newsom emphasized that he did not seek to get rid of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission and said the new lines would be temporary.
'We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what's happening in Texas, and we will nullify what happens in Texas,' the California governor said. 'We will pick up five seats with the consent of the people, and that's the difference between the approach we're taking and the approach they're taking. We're doing it a temporary basis.
'We're doing it in a fully transparent way, and we're doing it by asking the people of the state of California for their consent and support. Mark that stark contrast to what's happening in Texas and other states.'
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Title: California speaker says new maps will be released next week
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Speaker of the California Assembly Robert Rivas said Democrats will soon release their plans for redistricting in response to Texas.
'The maps, we anticipate, will be available next week,' Rivas said at a press conference Friday with state Democratic lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and several Texas Democrats who have left their state to try to stall the GOP redistricting push there.
California voters would have to approve moving forward with the partisan redistricting effort in their state, which is currently governed by an independent committee. A referendum is expected to be held this November to change the maps in time for next year's midterms.
'Once these maps are released, voters will have the opportunity to digest these maps, review them for weeks and months leading to this election,' Rivas said.
'We are going above and beyond to ensure that, one, we are protecting the Voting Rights Act, and that we are sending the voices of our most vulnerable to Washington, DC,' he added.
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Title: Pelosi says California redistricting push is "self-defense"
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that the California effort to redraw their US House maps is 'self-defense' to the redistricting push in Texas.
'They have come at our national democracy, and we are here to defend it,' Pelosi said at a press conference featuring several Texas Democratic lawmakers who have left the state to try to stall the GOP effort, in addition to a host of California Democrats and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Pelosi said that California Democrats were 'unified' around a plan to embark on a redistricting push of their own in an attempt to neutralize the impact of the Texas GOP effort, which could eliminate up to five US House seats currently held by Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
'The president has paved over the Rose Garden. He's paved over freedom of speech. He's paved over freedom of education, the list goes on and on,' Pelosi said. 'But we will not let him pave over free and fair elections in our country, starting with what he's trying to do in Texas – countering that.
Pelosi also sought to rebut criticism for Democrats who have advocated for electoral reforms, including anti-gerrymandering measures, in the past. 'This isn't two wrongs,' she said. 'It's not a wrong in what we're doing.'
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Title: 'Every single member of the California delegation' supports a proposed map that could eliminate 5 GOP seats, lawmaker says
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US Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California said Democrats have the backing of every member of the state's congressional delegation for their proposed map that could eliminate five Republican districts in retaliation for a Texas effort to redraw five Democratic-held districts.
'I'm happy to report that every single member of the California delegation is willing to support a plan to do that,' Lofgren said. 'We cannot stand here and just shrug as Trump and the Republicans try and rig the rules so they can avoid responsibility for the damage that they have done to this country.'
Speaking at a press conference with Gov. Gavin Newsom, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and some of the Texas House Democrats who left the state, Lofgren laid out some of the Democrats' thinking.
'The Democrats in California are happy with all our districts, just as they are, but when we saw that Texas was going to create the most segregated map in Texas since the '60s, to eliminate all of the minority districts that they could, so that they could create five Republican districts, we said, could we create a map that eliminated five Republican districts but that was true to the Voting Rights Act, and we found that we could.'
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Title: 'We will not be broken by these antics,' Texas Rep. Gene Wu says after Paxton files lawsuit
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Texas Rep. Gene Wu asserted that Democrats will stay strong as they face lawsuits from state officials after the Texas House failed again to reach quorum.
'We will not be broken by these antics,' Wu said at a news conference this afternoon in Illinois. 'We are not here to play games. We are not here to make waves, to go viral or do any of this stuff.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he is filing a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court to remove some of the lawmakers who have broken quorum.
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Title: Texas Rep. Gene Wu says he has filed a response to Gov. Abbott's "unconstitutional, illegal" court petition
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Texas Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu said he has filed a response to Gov. Greg Abbott's 'unconstitutional, illegal, and just ill-advised motion in the Texas Supreme Court.'
He said a lot of lawyers laughed at the motion.
'Because the black letter of the law says that Gov. Abbott does not have that power. And the Supreme Court is the wrong place to file this,' said Wu, the minority leader of the Texas House.
Earlier this week, Abbott asked the state Supreme Court to remove Wu from office — one of more than 50 quorum-breaking Democratic House members who fled the state to forestall a vote on new congressional maps.
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Title: Illinois speaker's office says it's not responsible for ensuring Texas House members return to their state
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Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said a GOP leader in the state has asked the sergeant at arms in the Illinois House of Representatives for help in returning Texas Democrats who are in Illinois back to Austin.
But the Illinois speaker's office told CNN today that it was not something that falls under its purview.
'A member of the Texas House of Representatives emailed Leader Nick Smith, who serves as Majority Officer and Sergeant At Arms—a legislative position primarily responsible for maintaining order in internal meetings of the Illinois House Democratic Caucus. No member of the Illinois House is responsible for attendance in Texas,' said John Maxson, a spokesperson for Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and the Illinois House Democratic Caucus.
After the Texas House failed to reach a quorum again today, Burrows said that Rep. Charlie Geren, who chairs the Committee on House Administration, was in touch with the sergeant at arms of the Illinois House of Representatives.
Some context: Texas Republicans are waging a pressure campaign on the Democrats who remain in other states. Burrows signed civil arrest warrants for the Democrats earlier this week. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also asked an Illinois court to make those arrest warrants from Texas enforceable in Illinois. As of Friday, no hearing has been scheduled to consider the matter, and it's unclear when a judge might weigh in.
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Title: Texas AG Ken Paxton said he's suing Beto O'Rourke over fundraising for redistricting fight
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced today that he was suing Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke over his fundraising on behalf of quorum-breaking state lawmakers, continuing his escalation of the GOP pressure campaign as Democrats try to block the Republican redistricting push.
'Democrat runaways are likely accepting Beto Bribes to underwrite their jet-setting sideshow in far-flung places and misleadingly raising political funds to pay for personal expenses,' the attorney general said in a statement, vowing he'd see O'Rourke 'in court.'
Paxton's office said it was requesting a 'a temporary restraining order and an injunction' preventing O'Rourke and his PAC, Powered By People, from continuing to raise funds for the Texas Democrats who have left the state in an attempt to stall the aggressive GOP redistricting push in the state legislature.
The move follows Paxton's earlier announcement that he was suing to remove from office 13 of the Democratic lawmakers who left the state, arguing they had forfeited their seats. It's part of an intensifying effort by state Republicans to return the absent Democrats, including the deployment of law enforcement, legal threats and fines.
O'Rourke, a prominent Texas Democrat and former presidential candidate, has been raising funds for the state lawmakers, who facing growing travel costs and legal expenses.
'We've got to have their backs,' O'Rourke said in an interview on CNN's 'The Situation Room' on Wednesday, praising 'tens of thousands' of donors for contributing toward 'their food, their flights,' and 'the defense that they're going to need.'
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Title: Democrats thwart another attempt to establish a quorum in the Texas House. Here's where things stand
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The Texas House failed yet again to establish quorum in the chamber — the third time this week. Democrats, who fled the state to stall GOP-led efforts to redraw congressional maps, remained absent.
Lawmakers will reconvene on Monday to attempt to establish quorum again, House Speaker Dustin Burrows said. In the meantime, he said he is working with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to make civil arrest warrants enforceable in Illinois, where some of the Texas Democrats fled, and more are lawsuits expected for other states.
In the meantime, here's where things stand:
Punishment for absentees: Burrows said that 30% of each absent member's monthly operating budget 'will be reserved and made unavailable for expenditure.' He noted that he is now requiring absent members to appear in person in order to make certain requests, including requests for travel reimbursement and requests to change staff salaries. This is in addition to yesterday's announced suspension of direct deposit payments, a move that forces absent Democrats to collect their paychecks in person in Austin.
Undeterred Democrats: State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. said he and his Democratic colleagues were undeterred in their standoff with Republicans over the aggressive redistricting push in Texas.
Financial pressures: Texas Rep. James Talarico on Monday noted that state lawmakers in Texas make just $600 a month before taxes. By breaking quorum, dozens of democratic Texas lawmakers face $500 in fines for each day they are absent from the House. Earlier today, he told CNN that the absent Democrats plan to stay out of Texas 'for the next two weeks.'
Democrat absent due to health reasons: State Rep. Claudia Ordaz said that Department of Public Safety officers visited a relative's home to look for her, even though she has publicly explained that she is absent because she's dealing with a health issue. Ordaz issued a statement, noting she was writing it 'from a hospital waiting room,' and said the officers' visit was 'a deliberate abuse of power and an intimidation tactic.'
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Title: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues to remove 13 Democratic state representatives from office
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he is filing a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court to remove Democratic lawmakers who have broken quorum to try to stall Republicans' redistricting push.
'I have asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare what has been clear from the beginning: that the runaway members have officially vacated their offices in the Texas House,' Paxton said in a statement announcing the suit.
Paxton said his lawsuit was targeting '13 Democrat members who made incriminating public statements regarding their refusal to return, essentially confirming in their own words the very grounds for this legal action.'
'When members of the Legislature disregard arrest warrants, refuse to perform their duties, and announce that they intend to prevent the Legislature from exercising its constitutional responsibilities, they have, through words and conduct, demonstrated an intent to relinquish and abandon their offices,' the petition to the State Supreme Court reads.
Democratic state lawmakers who have left Texas to try to stall Republicans' redistricting effort are facing an escalating pressure campaign from Republicans. That includes the deployment of law enforcement to find and return absent members, fines, potential bribery charges, and more – including another effort by Paxton to investigate Democratic fundraising on behalf of the members.
Texas Democrats, however, have rebuffed the GOP warnings. 'The Attorney General just filed a lawsuit to vacate my seat and remove me from office,' State Rep. John Bucy wrote on social media, responding to Paxton's suit. 'I'm not backing down.'
And Rep. Ron Romero Jr., earlier Friday, argued that Paxton's effort to target his colleagues was aimed at boosting the attorney general's 2026 campaign for US Senate.
'I think that is a politician that is running for senator,' Romero said, calling Paxton an 'embarrassment' and saying that he was 'doing that as a campaign ploy.'
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Title: Texas Democrat says she's dealing with a health matter, but officers went looking for her anyway
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Texas State Representative Claudia Ordaz condemned what she describe as 'intimidation tactics' after Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers reportedly visited a relative's home to look for her, even though she has publicly explained that she is absent because she's dealing with a health issue.
Ordaz issued a statement Thursday, nothing that she was writing 'literally from a hospital waiting room.'
'From the very beginning, I have made it clear: I will not be in the chamber due to a personal health matter,' she wrote a statement on X. 'Yet today, DPS officers showed up to a member of my family's home looking for me.'
Ordaz described the officers' visit as an escalation.
'Harassing my family, spreading lies, and dragging my name into political games is beyond unacceptable,' Ordaz wrote. 'It is a deliberate abuse of power and an intimidation tactic. I do not appreciate any of it, and neither side is helping the cause.'
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Title: 'We're going to continue to fight,' Texas Democrat says while describing campaign to pressure them to return
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State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. said he and his Democratic colleagues were undeterred in their standoff with Republicans over the aggressive redistricting push in Texas.
'We're going to continue to fight,' Romero said in an interview today on CNN, criticizing Republican efforts to force the absent Democratic lawmakers back home.
'And as Al Green, Congressman Al Green said, we will continue to march on, just as those in the past have done, we will as well,' said Romero, who was speaking from Chicago.
The Democrat described the pressure campaign Republicans are waging against the absent legislators, who have left to deny a quorum and stall GOP plans to redraw congressional boundaries.
'Look, I mean, we've, we've heard of some of the tactics that are being taken back in our home state, at our homes, you know, looking over our fences, going to our doors, talking to our parents, harassing our loved ones,' Romero said. 'We don't put anything past them again. We knew that we were putting ourselves, you know, with a target on our backs.'
And he dismissed the the threats of legal enforcement from Republican leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Romero noted was a candidate for US Senate next year, as political posturing.
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Title: Texas House speaker details more punitive measures for absent Democrats
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Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows introduced new measures today meant to punish House Democrats who remain outside of the state after the chamber failed to reach quorum again.
Burrows said that 30% of each absent member's monthly operating budget 'will be reserved and made unavailable for expenditure.'
He noted that he is now requiring absent members to appear in person in order to make certain requests, including requests for travel reimbursement, requests to change staff salaries and requests to approve newsletters.
He said that if members did not appear in person, newsletters and 'the encumbered funds' would be cancelled.
This comes after Burrows escalated the fight yesterday by suspending direct deposit payments for absent House members in an attempt to force them to collect their paychecks in person in Austin.
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Title: Texas House will try to establish quorum again on Monday, speaker says
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The Texas state House will reconvene on Monday to attempt to establish quorum again, Speaker Dustin Burrows said.
'I expect everyone to be here on Monday at the absolute latest,' he said.
He explained that the Department of Public Safety is working on returning absent members to the chamber, and the present members should consider themselves on call.
'We have all hands on deck. We are continuing to explore new avenues to compel a quorum and will keep pressing forward until the job is done,' he said.
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Title: Action underway to make civil arrest warrants enforceable beyond Texas, House speaker says
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Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that he is working with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to make civil arrest warrants enforceable in Illinois, where some of the Texas Democrats fled, and more are lawsuits expected for other states.
'Yesterday, Attorney General Ken Paxton and I took action to domesticate the civil arrest warrants in the state of Illinois seeking to make them enforceable beyond Texas state lines. I expect suits in other states will be forthcoming,' he said in the chamber today.
The Sergeant of Arms of Illinois House of Representatives has been approached for assistance in returning absent members of the Texas House of Representatives to Texas, Burrows said.
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Title: Texas House fails to establish quorum
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The Texas state House failed to establish quorum again today.
'There being 95 members present, a quorum is not present,' Speaker Dustin Burrows announced in the chamber in Austin.
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Title: NOW: Texas House lawmakers meet again
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The Texas House is now in session.
They will now take a roll call to determine if there are enough legislators present in the chamber to establish quorum and move forward with legislative business, including Republicans' redistricting plan.
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Title: SOON: The Texas House is set to reconvene
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The Texas House is set to reconvene today in a critical session amid the standoff between state House Democrats and Republicans over redistricting.
The session is expected to begin at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local time). House Republicans will attempt to move ahead on redistricting and other legislative business, but it isn't clear yet whether they will have a quorum to do so. At least 12 Democrats would need to be present to meet quorum.
Many Democrats seem to still be outside the state, but there are growing concerns that some Democrats may be returning to Texas to help end the quorum break. This comes amid promises from Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to punish lawmakers who do not come back for the session.
Burrows escalated the fight yesterday by suspending direct deposit payments for absent House members in an attempt to force them to collect their paychecks in person.
If there is a quorum, House Republicans will move quickly to a vote in the House. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the state Senate, has said he intends to consider the maps next week.
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Title: People on social media are urging Texas Democrats to "stay strong"
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Some Texas House Democrats are being urged on social media to stay in the fight against GOP redistricting and resist returning to the state amid growing concerns of cracks in the ranks.
Comments on Instagram posts from Democratic Reps. Claudia Ordaz, Erin Gamez and Mary Gonzalez oscillate between encouraging them to keep fighting and hammering them to not break quorum at the legislature's session on Friday.
There is concern among some Democrats that enough lawmakers will return to Austin today to help end the quorum break.
'Stay strong! Stay away! Do not give them quorum!' one commenter posted under a July post from Ordaz. 'Stand strong for your constituents, and all the people of Texas! Protect our maps!'
On a post from Gonzalez, another commenter wrote: 'Let's be clear: If it's true that you will be returning to make quorum today, YOU will be abandoning the constituents that put you in office!!'
Gonzalez, the vice chair of the appropriations committee, joined a press call yesterday as one of the Democrats who left the state.
'We don't always agree, so 50 very different people from very different parts of the state said we have to at least stand up and put our livelihood at risk. The $500 a day fine is not a joke. To put our seats at risk, to put our health and safety at risk, to put our families — like, gosh, my father is all by himself and taking care of a farm — like, to put all of our everything we have at risk. I'm just proud we did that.'
CNN's Steve Contorno and Ed Lavandera contributed reporting to this post.