Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the arrest of what he called the “Delinquent House Democrats” after the legislators failed to return to the Capitol as ordered on Sunday. The governor ordered Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to “locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans.”
“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans,” said Governor Abbott. “By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty.”
The order from the Texas governor follows a “Call of the Texas House” order from Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows. The speaker issued warrants to compel members to return to the House chamber, Abbott said.
To ensure compliance, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans, the governor stated. “This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol.”
A Texas House rule passed after the Democrat exodus in 2021 allows the House to fine members who abandon their duties $500 per day. The rule requires that they pay the fine from their personal funds, not their campaign treasury.
Sunday night, Governor Abbott warned the Democrats to return to work or be fired, and possible arrested on felony charges of bribery, Breitbart Texas reported.
“This truancy ends now,” Governor Abbott (R) said in a Sunday night statement. “The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. The governor said he will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the absent Democrats from their elected office.
The Democrats did not return, leading to the speaker’s call of the Texas House and the subsequent order from Abbott for their arrest.
Sunday afternoon, Texas House Democrats fled the state to Illinois to stop the State Legislature from moving forward on plans to redistrict Texas Congressional Districts, Breitbart News’ Elizabeth Weibel reported. Democrat Caucus Chair Gene Wu (D-Houston) said the governor is “using an intentionally racist map to steal the voices of millions of Black and Latino Texans, all to execute a corrupt political deal.” The chairman said House Democrats will “not be complicit in the silencing of hard-working communities who have spent decades fighting for the power that (President Donald Trump) wants to steal.”
Abbott further warned on Sunday that Texas Democrats may have committed felonies in addition to forfeiting their offices.
“Many absentee Democrats are soliciting funds to evade the fines they will incur under House rules,” the governor indicated. “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.” He added that any person who provides such funds could also be guilty of bribery.
“It seems to me that the only way some of the fleeing Democrats can avoid bribery charges is to not break quorum,” Abbott wrote in a social media post on Sunday.
“I will use my full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons.” Abbott’s letter concluded.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
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