Texas Governor Greg Abbott is trying to turn the entire Texas congressional contingent red, and Democrats are having a fit.
Every state gerrymanders its map, and one need only look at the current California maps to see that it is taking place.
But now, the Dems are on their high horses, leaving town to avoid the vote, but it could backfire rather grandly on them.
When Abbott announced his plans to change the maps, Democrats lost their minds, as it would likely remove five blue seats from the contingent of Democrats serving in the House.
If reports are accurate, one of the Dems being targeted is Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), whose foul-mouthed rants have become legendary and started a new trend in the Democrat Party.
Texas Republicans, however, defended the maps, with Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) stating, "Different from everyone else, I'm telling you, I'm not beating around the bush. We have five new districts, and these five new districts are based on political performance."
Hunter later added, "Political performance does not guarantee electoral success — that's up to the candidates. But it does allow Republican candidates the opportunity to compete in these districts."
For the Texas state legislature to quorum, it must have at least 100 of the 150 members present.
Reports broke over the weekend that nearly five dozen Democrats were leaving town, fleeing to Boston, New York, and Illinois to hide rather than show up at the session to vote on the maps.
Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu stated, “Gov. Abbott is doing this in submission to Donald Trump so that Donald Trump can steal these communities’ power and voice.
“We will not be complicit in the destruction of our own communities. We're not here to play political games. We're here to demand an end to this corrupt process."
Under Article III, Section 13 of the Texas Constitution, members who have abandoned their office can be removed from their seat.
Governor Abbott stated, "Any Democrat who ‘solicits, accepts or agrees to accept’ such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws.” This is a felony, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is ready to pounce.
He fired back that any congressional member who has left the state "should be found and arrested no matter where they go."
This is what Democrats do when they don’t get their way… they stomp their feet and make a huge scene. The downside to this is that Democrats are now using what Texas did to justify gerrymandering in every major blue state, so the gains in Texas are likely to be significantly offset by redrawn maps in states like California, New York, and Illinois (that is if any of the maps get passed litigation, which is sure to follow).