Texas Republicans: Democrats can pick up their paychecks in person

The Texas House: A Legislative Standoff with Consequences

The Texas House convened yet again on Friday, only to quickly adjourn without achieving a quorum, much to the chagrin of Republican leaders. Their frustration stems from Democratic lawmakers who have strategically left the state to thwart a vote on a contentious redistricting bill—a measure that has received backing from none other than former President Donald Trump.

In a move that highlights the escalating tensions, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that absent Democratic members will now be required to collect their monthly salaries and per diems in person. “While the Constitution forbids us from withholding pay, it does not dictate how we issue the pay,” Burrows stated, underscoring the creative interpretations of legislative protocol that often characterize such political battles.

Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu dismissed this threat as more bark than bite, quipping, “Members of the legislature are paid $600 a month. Foregoing our monthly salary is a far smaller cost than the price of inaction.” Wu’s sentiment underscores a broader truth in contemporary politics: sometimes, the stakes of inaction are far greater than any financial penalty imposed by a rival party.

Republican leadership has also decided to freeze the monthly operating budgets of their Democratic colleagues, stipulating that “absent members must also appear in person” to secure approval for travel reimbursements or access to other House services. It’s a classic case of “you can’t sit with us,” but in a decidedly more bureaucratic form.

In an effort to escalate the situation further, the Texas House has reached out to the sergeant at arms of the Illinois House of Representatives, seeking assistance in coaxing the absent members back. However, this request has been met with resistance. Jon Maxson, communications director for the Illinois House Speaker, firmly stated, “No member of the Illinois House is responsible for attendance at Texas’ undemocratic sham of session.” Clearly, the Illinois delegation is not interested in playing the role of Texas’ legislative babysitter.

Speaker Burrows expressed his determination to compel a quorum, reminding attendees of the pressing agenda item: disaster relief for the severe flooding that afflicted Texas last month. “Every hour you remain away is time stolen from those Texans in need,” he stated, cleverly linking the urgency of disaster relief with the contentious redistricting bill. It’s a classic political maneuver—when in doubt, invoke the needs of the constituents.

Meanwhile, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has dismissed the threats emanating from Texas as “grandstanding,” asserting that his state will offer protections to the fleeing Texas Democrats. He emphasized that any civil complaints initiated in Texas hold no jurisdiction in Illinois, further complicating the already convoluted legislative saga.

This latest chapter unfolded just hours after a suburban Chicago hotel complex—where several Democratic legislators had been staying—received a second bomb threat. Fortunately, the local police department, in collaboration with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and Explosive Detection K-9 Unit, conducted a thorough search, concluding that no explosive devices were present. At the time, there were approximately 70 guests in the hotel, highlighting the serious implications of these threats.

A source close to the Texas Democrats, who requested anonymity for security reasons, revealed that the delegation had vacated the hotel following an earlier bomb threat earlier in the week. The current whereabouts of the group remain undisclosed, further adding to the air of uncertainty surrounding Texas’ ongoing legislative standoff.