About 50 Texas Democrats who fled the state to delay a redistricting vote won’t get paid until they show up at the capital, the Republican speaker of the state’s House of Representatives said Friday.
House Speaker Dustin Burrow’s threat came after the Texas House, for the third time this week, failed to establish the quorum necessary to continue a special legislative redistricting session – thanks to the 55 Democrats who are still AWOL.
“Comptroller Kelly Hancock and I have enacted a new policy stating that any member absent for the purpose of breaking quorum will no longer have their paycheck or per diem deposited electronically,” Burrows announced on the floor of the chamber.
“While the Constitution forbids us from withholding pay, it does not dictate how we issue the pay,” he said. “Those checks must now be picked up in person on Capitol grounds, effective immediately.”
Burrows further ordered 30% cuts to the office budgets of absent Democrats and required them to show up in person to receive reimbursements or send out newsletters.
The missing Democrats, some of whom have popped up in New York, Illinois and California, also face a $500-per-day fine for every unexcused absence from the session.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed two lawsuits Friday aimed at cutting off funding that the absentee Democrats may be receiving and removing some of the most outspoken missing members from the House.
Paxton asked the Supreme Court of Texas to declare that 13 House seats – belonging to members who “made incriminating public statements regarding their refusal to return” – vacated over the “unlawful absences.”
“The rogue Democrat legislators who fled the state have abandoned their duties, leaving their seats vacant,” Paxton said in a statement. “These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold.
“Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on.” --->READ MORE HERE
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| Brandon Bell / Getty Images |
As Texas State House Democrats continue to be anywhere but Austin, Republicans are turning up the heat.
Although the Democrats are a minority in the Texas Legislature, their absence prevents the body from having a quorum, which means no business gets done in a special session called to pass redistricting legislation that would put Democrats in a deeper hole in Congress.
Even if Democrats run out the clock for which the session was called, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has the power to call more special sessions.
On Friday, Texas Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows said that as long as Democrats remain absent, they will have to actually show up to collect their paychecks.
Direct deposit will be paused until a quorum in the House exists, according to KFOX-TV.
HOLY CRAP! The Texas House is REVOKING the automatic check deposit ability of ANY Dem who didn’t appear solely to break quorum.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) August 8, 2025
They have to appear on the grounds to obtain their pay.
This is how you do it! pic.twitter.com/Ddq6NgV3oR
Although it remains unclear who has the power to do what, the FBI has said it will work with Texas officials to locate Democrats who fled the state.
One legislator said a war on perks of the job may be in the near future.
“This hasn’t dropped yet, but I have heard that they could lose their seniority, parking spots, chairmanships. I think that’s next on the books,” Republican State Rep. Shelley Luther said, according to WFAA-TV. --->READ MORE HERE
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