'Return now': Republican leaders move to bring Texas Democrats back to Capitol

Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Aug 4, 2025

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One by one, state lawmakers on Monday marked themselves present on the floor of the Texas House, triggering green lights and chimes noting their attendance. Boards hanging on the chamber wall, used to log votes on bills, lit up for Republican members as roll call was taken, but the lights remained off for most Democrats in the House.

And with that, a quorum break was official, setting off a search for and the possible civil arrest of members who have left the Capitol in hopes of blocking a proposed congressional map.

“To those who are absent, return now,” House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican, said from the House floor. “Show the courage to face the issues you are elected to solve. Come back and fulfill your duty, because this House will not sit quietly while you obstruct the work of the people.”

The House has 150 members. In order to conduct business, 100 must be present, so breaking quorum is one of Democrats’ last-resort tools to halt policies they don’t like. There are 62 Democrats and 88 Republicans in the House.

At least 51 House lawmakers have broken quorum, with many traveling to Chicago, Boston and Albany, New York.

Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth, Rep. Ramón Romero, Jr. of Fort Worth and Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie are among the state House Democrats breaking quorum, they confirmed Sunday. Rep. Salman Bhojani, a Euless Democrat, is also absent from Austin, as he’s overseas for the foreseeable future due to a family medical emergency.

The civil arrest warrants do not work out of state, according to The Texas Tribune. House Democrats also face a daily $500 fine, House rules state.

Lawmakers are in the midst of a special session with issues like flood relief, THC laws and abortion restrictions on the agenda, in addition to mid-decade congressional redistricting.

The House was scheduled Monday to debate a proposed map that would position Republicans from Texas to pick up five seats in Congress. Democrats have criticized the map as a power grab by President Donald Trump that would disenfranchise voters.

“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty.”

Breaking quorum can come with penalties, including a daily fine and possible civil arrest. Abbott has also cautioned that the Democrats could be committing crimes and lose their elected offices by leaving Austin.

Rep. Charlie Geren, a Fort Worth Republican, on Monday successfully led two motions related to securing a quorum, including one that authorizes the Sergeant of Arms and its appointed officers to send for the absent members.

Burrows said he has signed civil arrest warrants and is working with the Texas Department of Public Safety to help secure a quorum.

“Certainly we’re working for whatever we need to do to maintain this important work, and we will continue to work with everyone to make sure nothing is off the table,” Burrows said, when asked if he’d welcome help from President Donald Trump.

The special session started July 21 and lasts up to 30 days.

“This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity,” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said in a Sunday statement. “Governor Abbott has turned the victims of a historic tragedy into political hostages in his submission to Donald Trump. He is using an intentionally racist map to steal the voices of millions of Black and Latino Texans, all to execute a corrupt political deal.”

Abbott on Monday also said he was directing the Texas Rangers to investigate House Democrats for possible bribery. Reports indicate “many absentee Texas House Democrats have solicited or received funds” to break quorum, a news release states.

“Today, I ordered the Texas Rangers to immediately investigate fleeing Texas House Democrats for potential bribery and any other potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum, conduct business, and cast votes,” Abbott said in a statement. “That investigation should extend to anyone who aided or abetted such potential crimes.”

Abbott made a similar argument in a Sunday news release. At that time, Abbott also said he’d invoke a 2021 Texas attorney general opinion to “remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House.”

The Texas House Democratic Caucus had this to say in a Sunday statement:

“Come and take it.”

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