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Dozens of Texas Democrats will be leaving the state to deny Republicans a quorum needed in the House to vote on the mid-decade gerrymandered map that is the brainchild of Donald Trump.
Dozens of Texas Democrats plan to flee the state amid a special session Sunday afternoon, making a last-ditch effort to disrupt a mid-decade redistricting attempt forced by President Donald Trump, according to two people briefed on the matter.
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“Breaking quorum is an extreme step.It should be a last resort,” State Rep. James Talarico told POLITICO in an interview last Tuesday. He was among the 50 Democratic lawmakers who fled the state in 2021 over an election bill. Democrats are said to be headed to Illinois, a blue state with a governor who has accused Texas Republicans of cheating by trying to finagle redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.
They are expected to touch down in Illinois on Sunday, setting off a standoff with Abbott in the high-stakes redistricting battle.
Leaving the state is not a step that is done lightly. There is the potential for fines and arrest for members of the state legislature who flee. Gov. Pritzker in Illinois will protect the Democrats from anything that Greg Abbott and his party may try to do.
