In a significant escalation of his spat with Texas Democrats who left the state to stop a controversial redistricting vote, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, from office.
A statement from Abbott’s office identifies Wu as the “ringleader” in Texas House Democrats’ strategic effort to block a GOP-friendly redistricting vote by having dozens of them leave the state, denying the Republican-controlled House a quorum.
“Representative Wu and the other Texas House Democrats have shown a willful refusal to return, and their absence for an indefinite period of time deprives the House of the quorum needed to meet and conduct business on behalf of Texans,” Abbott said. “Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences.”
The emergency petition describes the Democrats’ departure as a “hijacking of Texas government” and accuses them of impeding democracy.
“If representatives are free not to show up whenever they choose, then Texans simply do not have a representative government,” the petition states. “In fact, they don’t have a functioning government at all.”
