Washington , 6 August (H.S.): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has initiated legal proceedings to remove multiple Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to obstruct a redistricting plan. Abbott's lawsuit targets Gene Wu, whom he labeled the ringleader of this effort, claiming the departure of over 50 Democrats constitutes an abandonment of their offices. The proposed congressional map aims to add five Republican-leaning seats in the House of Representatives, where Republicans already hold a slim majority. Abbott stated that the absence of these lawmakers hinders legislative duty and justifies their removal, stressing that public servants should be held to the same standards as others who regularly fail to attend work.

The lawsuit requests a writ of quo warranto from the Texas Supreme Court to oust Wu, asserting that the court must determine whether a minority of the legislature can dictate decisions affecting all Texas residents. Abbott ordered the absent Democrats to be arrested and returned to the statehouse for the redistricting vote. Wu, the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, defended the absence as a fulfillment of his constitutional duty, claiming Abbott is attempting to silence dissent.

The lawsuit requests a swift ruling from the Republican-dominated Texas Supreme Court, scheduled for the day before the House session resumes. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pursuing a separate legal action to declare the Democrats’ seats “vacant,” noting that removing lawmakers would require individual lawsuits in potentially unfavorable jurisdictions. He acknowledged that this process could be lengthy and complicated, as each district presents different challenges.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar